A Modernist Interior

1. Extension to Gothenburg Townhall 1913 - 1937 by Gunnar Asplund

2. Formal design features associated with modernism in this space include;

• a mezzanine with exposed structural supports and a cantilevered staircase that appear to be suspended in the space, 
• recesses within walls to allow air-conditioning systems to work but remain hidden and creating a shadowy depth to the detailing,
• negative detailing between the old and new sections of the Town Hall to show the juxtaposition of the old and new materials,
• open plan layout allowing for multiple uses of the space, 
• floor to ceiling glass walls and glass panels in the ceiling to allow in plenty of sunlight,
• modular screens for partitioning the space,
• neutral colour scheme,
• furnished in pieces that bridge the domestic/commercial divide including loungers cum office chairs and dining cum board room furniture.

3. The design of this space is in keeping with the Scandinavian Modernist style of which the architect, Gunnar Asplund, was an exponent. 

Asplund and four other Swedish architects (Sven Markelius, Eskil Sundahl, Uno Åhrén, and Wolter Gahn),
co-authored a manifesto for a Scandinavian approach to modernist design called "Acceptera"  (1931).

Its overarching concept was of "beauty for all" taking a socialist view of the basic concepts of modernism. The architects believed that well made items and interiors, fit for purpose and beautiful should be affordable for all in society. They also championed the combination of industrial or man-made materials with traditional ones such as wood, of which there was plenty in Scandinavia, and more organic shapes derived from Swedish craft traditions than the streamlined metal shapes of German and French modernism.


4. An excerpt from the text can be found on the Museum of Modern Arts (MOMA) website where it is included in a MOMA publication - Three Founding Texts of Swedish Modernism.










5. Asplund's interior reflects his design principles through;

• the copious amount of wood he uses to line all the walls, apart from glass there are no other major surface treatments on the walls in the space,
• his use of mixed man made and natural materials in other features of the space, including the modular screens, the stair well and the support pillars,
• the space is a public one therefore accessible to all who would like to use it,
• the furniture in the space is organically shaped and sympathetic to the human form,
• the colour palette is restricted to neutrals and natural wood in keeping with the wider Scandinavian modernist aesthetic.

References

http://www.moma.org/learn/intnlprograms/publications/publications_swedish

http://www.erikgunnarasplund.com/eng/gallery8-tillbyggnadengoteborgsradhus.asp