ArkDes Collection

Competition proposal for a new Parliament House, Stockholm. 1971. Architect: Léonie Geisendorf. Photographer: Matti Östling. ArkDes collection.
Exhibitions
- ongoing
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Hall 2

ArkDes Collection

ArkDes has one of the world’s largest collections of architecture. In the museum’s collection display, you will find a selection of buildings, ideas, and places that have shaped modern Sweden.

The collection exhibition is divided into themes where you can follow the life cycle of design: from the initial ideas on the drawing board to how architecture and design take shape in our cities. Discover unique original objects: sketches, photos, models, drawings, and documents that show how creativity and design influence our society.

ArkDes Collection is more than an exhibition – it is a living, evolving experience. Objects are presented temporarily to be studied, admired, and discussed. After a time, they return to storage, making space for new objects and new stories. Through Unboxing, we invite you to join us in discovering hidden treasures from the collection.

See the world through the eyes of the designer, reflect on the role of architecture in society, and imagine the future together with us. Welcome to explore the collection of works that shaped modern Sweden.

About the ArkDes Collection

ArkDes’s collection comprises over four million objects created by leading architects and designers such as Gunnar Asplund, Léonie Geisendorf, and Sigurd Lewerentz.

2025–2026 marks the second year of the new collection exhibition. Some themes – Imagination, Living Together, In Use, and The Stockholm Exhibition 1930 – remain, but with new objects. Death and Shopping are introduced as new themes during the year.

Photo: Marco Cappelletti / Marco Cappelletti Studio. 2025. ArkDes Collection.
Sergels torg, Stockholm. 1970s. Architect: David Helldén. ArkDes collection.
Porta Nordica, Helsingborg. Architect: Hans Asplund. ArkDes collection.
Waiting pavilion for the Djursholm Line, Stockholm. 1932. Architect: Hillevi Svedberg. ArkDes collection.
Stockholm Exhibition 1930. 1929. Architect: Gunnar Asplund. Illustrator: Max Söderholm. ArkDes collection.
Söderhallarna, Stockholm. 1992. Architect: Bo Kjessel. ArkDes collection.
Woodland Chapel, Skogskyrkogården in Stockholm. 1918–1920. Architect: Gunnar Asplund. Photographer: Max Plunger. ArkDes collection.
Woodland Chapel, Skogskyrkogården in Stockholm. 1918–1920. Architect: Gunnar Asplund. ArkDes collection.
Domus department store, Fagersta. Architect: KFAI. Photographer: Lars Lennart Forsberg. ArkDes collection.
Photo: Marco Cappelletti / Marco Cappelletti Studio. 2025. ArkDes Collection.
Photo: Marco Cappelletti / Marco Cappelletti Studio. 2025. ArkDes Collection.
Photo: Marco Cappelletti / Marco Cappelletti Studio. 2025. ArkDes Collection.