History

Hotell Skeppsholmen a long and colorful history. The eastern and western barracks were built between 1699 and 1702 to house the Drabants, King Charles XII’s personal elite guard. The architect was Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, perhaps best known for designing Stockholm Palace, although these buildings are two of the few functional structures designed by Tessin the Younger that still remain.

Because the country was facing difficult economic conditions, with a shortage of building materials, bricks were sourced, for example, from castle ruins in the Mälardalen region. However, the buildings—often referred to colloquially asLånga raden—were never used as barracks once they were completed, as most of the conscripts did not return from the wars. Instead, they stood empty until 1710, when they began to be used as a poorhouse for those infected with the plague, with severely inadequate sanitary conditions.

The buildings were repaired a few years later and subsequently used as a court-martial venue, as well as for housing, offices, and storage facilities for Flottan. Throughout the rest of the 18th and 19th centuries, several renovations were also carried out. From 1828 onward, the buildings were used almost exclusively as official residences for military and civilian officials, while during the 20th century they were mostly used as office space.

In 1935, the buildings were designated historic landmarks. Over the years, many fascinating personalities have passed throughLånga RadenOur hotel rooms are named after some of the men and women who have lived here.

CAREFUL RENOVATION

As mentioned, Långa raden buildings Långa raden a state-designated historic landmark, which required an extremely careful renovation; and when you stay at Hotel Skeppsholmen , you can enjoy many spaces that have been preserved since the 17th century. Great care has been taken to respect the buildings’ original conditions and qualities, and to the greatest extent possible, the changes and additions made to the building are reversible—meaning they can be removed, and the building can be restored to its former state.

The renovation involved the demolition of non-load-bearing walls, the excavation of shafts for elevators, and the removal of moisture-damaged joists and flooring on the ground floor. In the course of this work, original and older structural elements and surface finishes were uncovered, providing insight into the rooms’ former appearances. Half of the hotel rooms retain their original floor area of 16.5 m² with two windows. The new bathroom is designed as a box set within the room, with the underlying panels and surface finishes left untouched.

Nearly half of the brick walls of the Boställshus buildings are made of reused bricks. The buildings were constructed between 1699 and 1702, during a period of severe economic hardship in the country; as a result, Charles XII granted permission to obtain materials from the ongoing construction of the royal palace in Stockholm. Brick was also taken from the old castles and castle ruins in the Mälardalen region, including Gripsholm, Ekolsund, and Svartsjö.

Original brick floors have now been discovered on the ground floor in a couple of rooms and also in the hallway. After documentation, the brick floors will be preserved and covered with a new floor. The existing plank floor on the ground floor has been dismantled, cleared of nails, planed, and is now being reinstalled. The existing plank floor on the first floor is being protected by a new wooden floor.

In the attic, new wooden flooring is being installed over sound-insulating underlayment. The alterations and additions made in the 20th century consist primarily of upgrades to technical systems such as heating and ventilation. These measures have required numerous openings in the structural frame. During the current renovation, existing ducts and openings are being utilized as much as possible.

The architects and interior designers responsible are the award-winning trio Claesson Koivisto Rune, in collaboration with Erséus Arkitekter.