Rådhuset (City Hall)

To head the rebuilding of Umeå after fire destroyed most of the city in 1888, the city hired Stockholm architect Olaus Fredrik Lindström. In addition to preparing proposals for the city plan and reviewing blueprints, his duties included designing Umeå’s public buildings.

City Hall, with its main facade facing the river, came to house the city’s administration, courtroom, post office, telegraph and police station. For the building, Lindström chose Dutch Renaissance Revival architecture, a style that better corresponded with the 1880s’ quest for authenticity in materials and construction than austere Italian Renaissance architecture. With its red brick, asymmetrical facade, its stepped gables and striking roof profile, the building exemplifies both dignity and festiveness.

Källa: Umeå kommun
Foto: Lena Tengnér och Pål Castell
Text: Lena Tengnér