Library and Research Services

ArkDes Library

The ArkDes library collection is a unique mix of books and journals, including those donated by some of Sweden’s leading architects.

We are an architecture library open for everyone. Our books are accessible at the library on Skeppsholmen and can be loaned. Additionally, with your library card, you can log in to read international articles from the Art & Architecture database ↗.

Our collection of books can be searched through Libris, the shared catalogue of Swedish libraries. Search in Libris here ↗.

We subscribe to around 70 magazines and have more than 1 000 titles in our collection. Many of the magazine issues come from architects’ personal libraries, and we have everything from individual issues to complete series of a magazine. Here you can find details about which issues we have in the library catalogue.

Outside the library, there’s a book drop where you can return books when the library is closed.

Are you looking for information about the borrowing rules of ArkDes library?  Click here.

Research Services

ArkDes’ collection of four million items is a fascinating treasury, brimming with stories, open for everyone to discover. Through our researcher service, we provide materials for those who wish to delve deeper into the collection. By engaging more people in exploring ArkDes’ collection, we can present a parallel history of architecture, featuring different buildings and names than those typically seen in history books.

The collection is available to all. To access the original materials managed by ArkDes, you need to book an appointment through the Research Services booking form. Research services are open every other Thursday from 13:00 to 16:00. Each semester, ArkDes releases bookable slots. 

The objects in the ArkDes collection constitute a museum collection and are not documents governed by the Swedish state’s transparency regulations (’Allmänna handlingar’).

Parts of ArkDes’ material from the collection are available and searchable in digital form. Start by searching in our databases:

KulturNav ↗
A register of architects who are or have been active in Sweden.

Europeana ↗
A European database featuring books, photographs, films, and sculptures from various European galleries, libraries, archives, and museums.