Annica Kvint: Ingenious triangelavtal saves Asplund's unique rooms

Say the (lack of) legislation that does not go to bypass. When it recently decided to arkitekternas pensionskassa AI Pension would amount in Skandia, started a bunch of arkitekturhistoriskt versed people make plans. Of the building on Nybrogatan 7, as the AI Pension now was about to sell, was a treasure that at all costs must be saved: the Swedish Version of the former boardroom, designed by Gunnar Asplund in 1931.

Authentic environments from modernism's breakthrough year is very rare, also internationally, and this room really had everything. Asplund, who got the mandate from the Svenska Slöjdföreningen in glädjeruset after publiksuccén the stockholm exhibition in 1930, designed every detail. From the glass door to the radiators. From the 8,6 meter long table of sykomorlönn to karmstolarna and klubbfåtöljerna, the built-in bookshelves, luminaires and carpet in the flossateknik.

Fönsterpartiet sounded Asplund fellow student and now as world-famous Sigurd Lewerentz take care of. Only the furniture is today valued at sek 6 million and the environment as a whole, of course, invaluable.

used in all of the 88 years it existed was also a proof as good as anything on that it literally was a sustainable place. Still was the danger imminent: if the new owner wanted to, could he very well be able to demolish the whole lot of them and sell the furniture at the nearest auction house.

In the best of worlds would unique interiors protected in kulturmiljölagen. A room say as much about a certain period of time as a building. But so far, all attempts to bring about a legislation for historic interiors have been voted down in parliament on the grounds that such would constitute an ”infringement of property rights”. And because the so-called loose furnishings have no protection in european law live some of the historic buildings further, while it is entirely legitimate to distort or even tear, architecturally unique interiors.

Asplundkännarna had seen several lavish interiors distorted through the years – not least, Ivar Tengbom Tändstickspalatset a few blocks away. Now they tore their hair. Until they came up with the solution. For the last week, were a ”triangelavtal” whose ingenious design will hopefully lead to other historical rooms can be saved for posterity.

for the first a gåvoavtal between the AI Pension and the Swedish association of Architects, who becomes the owner of the now stöldmärkta the furniture. Secondly, it has signed a sale and purchase agreement between the AI Pension and the new owner Sparbössan Fastigheter and, third, an agreement regarding the right of use between the new owner and the Swedish association of Architects.

The new owner will continue to rent premises in the house. The tenant of plan 4 may use the gunnar asplund room as the meeting room it is, and the Swedish association of Architects, which is becoming something of a guarantee that the room be preserved, given the opportunity to arrange viewings of it.

gunnar asplund room may continue to be a ”mini museum” for visitors from all over the world is amazing. But best of all is the moral of the story: Nothing is impossible.