JUGENDARKITEKTUR I GÖTEBORG Regionalt och kosmopolitiskt i Göteborgs stadsrum

Abstract

This thesis investigates and discusses Art Nouveau architecture in Gothenburg, with emphasis on the exterior. The main purpose of the study is to highlight the Art Nouveau in Gothenburg. It is also to identify and determine the traits of the Art Nouveau style in Gothenburg, and where the inspiration has been gained, both in terms of material choices and other distinctive features. It investigates if there are any regional traits in the architecture in Gothenburg compared to Stockholm or Malmö. It is said that compared with Stockholm and Malmö there are relatively few Art Nouveau buildings in Gothenburg and sometimes even not existing at all, but is this true? There are however few previous collective research on this architecture in Gothenburg. Methods that have been used in this study consist of literature research, field studies, archive visits and photographic documentation. Five buildings, with different Art Nouveau styles and different architects, were selected for this investigation to represent the city’s range of the style. The thesis does also, through literature research, describe the emergence of Art Nouveau style, and define different types of Art Nouveau. The study shows how the Art Nouveau architecture manifests itself in Gothenburg. It also shows the capital city perspective can be problematic when an influential person determines the extent of a phenomenon. Gothenburg has regional traits when it comes to its Art Nouveau architecture, but these are different compared to those in Stockholm and Malmö. The regionalism is not prominent since there seems not to be any strong cultivation of the regional traits. The city has more of a cosmopolitan attitude in its Art Nouveau architecture. The study can be seen as a beginning of a larger and future inventory of the Art Nouveau architecture in Gothenburg.