Project Description
The prison is the oldest stone structure in Umeå and one of the few buildings that survived the fire of 1888. It was modelled after prisons in the United States and Germany. Compared with earlier conditions, when prisoners were kept shackled in cellar-vaults in castles and fortresses, the new system represented a great improvement.
Address: Storgatan 62
Se map
The building is situated so that the main facade on the short side faces the street to the north. The prisoners 24 cells to the south are divided between two floors on each side and open in the middle gallery in the middle. Towards the street there was a guardroom, kitchen and residence for the prison director. The building – with smooth-plastered facades, medieval-inspired shapes and surrounding double fence – is one of the best preserved prisons in Sweden.
Källa: Arkitekturguiden, Umeå kommun.
Text: Lena Tengnér