The Tekniska Högskolans Studentkår in Stockholm: A Collective Springboard to Modernity

Abstract

The Students’ Union Building (THS) at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm reflects the evolving trajectory of Swedish modernism. Inaugurated in 1930, shortly after the Stockholm Exhibition, the original structure, designed by Sven Markelius and Uno Åhrén, embodied the functionalist vision promoted by Sweden’s emerging young architects. Conceived as a social hub for students, the building mirrored the ideas such as equality and cooperation. However, the THS’s history extends far beyond its initial construction, revealing a century-long evolution shaped by architectural competitions, shifting educational needs, and direct commissions. Subsequent expansions by Markelius and Bengt Lindroos in 1952 and by Lindroos (supported by Hans Borgström) in 1977 reflected the changing of the influence to the New Empiricism and of the spontanitet. The present paper reconstructs these processes through unpublished archival materials, challenging traditional narratives that isolate architectural authorship from broader socio-political contexts. By tracing THS’s overlooked international reception this paper repositions the building as a dynamic site of architectural discourse, illustrating Sweden’s modernist evolution and its continued relevance in contemporary debates on collective architectural practice.