The Matchstick Palace
Ivar Tengbom Arch. 1928
The Matchstick Palace cemented Ivar Tengbom’s place in Swedish architectural history. This historically blue-classified building stands as a benchmark of 1920s Classicism and Swedish Grace, blending technical and aesthetic innovation. Join us as we guide you through this timeless legacy of craftsmanship, elegance, and a balanced artistic mélange.
A headquarters of Swedish Grace
The Matchstick Palace was erected as the headquarters for Svenska Tändsticks Aktiebolaget, the core of Ivar Kreuger’s empire. Completed in just two years, the building exemplifies 1920s Swedish Classicism and Swedish Grace. Its creation was a result of a close collaboration between Tengbom and Sweden’s top artists, including Carl Milles, Isaac Grünewald, Simon Gate, Carl Malmsten, and Elsa Gullberg.
“Beauty with American speed.”
Quote from Dagens Nyheter, 1928. In the article: The Matchstick Company’s New Office Building – Our Most Beautiful Modern Office Palace
Function meets elegance
The Matchstick Palace houses four floors above ground and one below, encompassing over 20 executive rooms, meeting spaces, kitchens, dining halls, a director’s bathroom, archives, laboratories, 24 vaults, and a matchstick museum—the only one of its kind at the time.
A royal entrance
The façade features a palatial rusticated exterior, with a portico entrance framed by 14 Egyptian-style granite columns surrounding a central courtyard. The ground floors are clad in Kolmården marble, with upper levels plastered with marble powder. This classical grandeur extends to details such as Prometheus inlaid in the stone flooring and bronze sculptures of wild boars and deer flanking the entrance.
An icon of architectural harmony
Inside, Tengbom orchestrated a seamless collaboration between artists and craftsmen. Details like mahogany panels, custom furniture by Carl Malmsten, and textiles by Elsa Gullberg echo the building’s themes of fire and stars, drawn from Kreuger’s matchboxes.
Technical pioneering
Among its cutting-edge features were electric letter lifts, a central clock system, and one of the first loudspeaker telephones globally.
Today, the Matchstick Palace is listed by Stockholm’s City Museum, symbolizing Tengbom’s vision of uncompromising quality and serving as a beacon of Swedish architecture.
