Scharinska Villa

In the summer of 1890, two young architectural students, Ragnar Östberg and Carl Westman, worked for the city architectural firm F.O. Lindström in Umeå. Perhaps this led to Östberg’s assignment to design a building with offices for the Scharin family timber firm, AB Scharins Söner, and a residence for Managing Director Egil Unander-Scharin and his large family.

The large pink plaster building across from Döbeln Park – with an original facade composition, transomed and mullioned white windows and a baroque gable crest above the windows – has long been an Umeå student union building. Its interior is currently being renovated.

Ragnar Östberg, who later in his career became well known as the architect for Stockholm City Hall, has designed two other buildings in Umeå.