Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
There's a round vinyl ball instead of a puck, and the rules are similar to football, except
that you hit the ball with a stick instead of kicking it. Bring a thermos of
kaffekask
- a
warming mix of coffee and booze.
SWEDISH DESIGN
Now that Ingvar Kamprad's unmistakably huge blue-and-yellow Ikea stores are sprouting
up all over the world, Swedish design may have lost some of its exotic appeal. But that
just means more people can know the sleek, utilitarian joy of invisible drawers, paper
chandeliers and round squares.
Most of the clever designs Ikea brings to the masses originated among Stockholm's re-
lentlessly inventive designers, and you can see these artifacts in their undiluted form all
over the city in museums, shops, and a few shops that are so exclusive they may as well
be museums.
Functional elegance defines Swedish design, although in recent decades a refreshing
tendency towards the whimsical has lightened the mood. For a good collection of design
objects arranged chronologically and by theme, head to
Nordiska Museet
.
You can also
find examples of both historic and contemporary design at upmarket shops like
Svenskt
Tenn
, home to floral fabric prints by design legend Josef Frank, and
Nordiska Galleriet
,
with its dizzying array of neat things to look at.
Södermalm's main drag, Götgatan, is home to democratically priced
DesignTorget
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; 08-643 25 04; Götgatan 25). Known in Swedish as Tiogruppen, 10
Swedish Designers started in 1970 when a band of young textile designers (notably Tom
Hedqvist) introduced unapologetically bold, geometric patterns. These days, their eye-
catching graphics cover tote bags, wallets, cushions, plates and napkins.
Shopping
Stockholm is a seasoned shopper's paradise. It's practically a sport here. For big-name
Swedish and international retail outlets like Diesel, Urban Outfitters, Whyred and Face
Stockholm, hit the pedestrianised Biblioteksgatan from Östermalm to Norrmalmstorg, as
well as the smaller streets that branch off it. Östermalm is generally good for browsing at
high-end boutiques.
