ArkDes

About the museum

ArkDes, formerly Arkitekturmuseet (the Museum of Architecture), was founded in 1962 as a private foundation on the initiative of the Swedish Association of Architects (Sveriges Arkitekters Riksförbund). The museum opened in 1966 in the former Sjökarteverket building (the Swedish Hydrographic Office) on Skeppsholmen, became a state agency in 1978 and was inaugurated in its present premises in February 1998. From 2009 the remit also covered other design fields, and in 2013 the name was changed to Statens centrum för arkitektur och design (the Swedish National Centre for Architecture and Design), abbreviated ArkDes.

The collection comprises more than four million objects, drawings, sketches, photographs, models and documents, and is counted among Europe's largest architecture collections. After a year's closure for rebuilding, the museum reopened in 2024 with a new collection exhibition in which original drawings and sketches are rotated every 12–18 months. The museum also has space for temporary exhibitions and conducts practice-based research on designed living environments.

ArkDes is located on Skeppsholmen in buildings connected to Moderna Museet. From 1 January 2026 ArkDes is part of the authority Moderna Museet.

Highlights

• Collection exhibition with original drawings and sketches from one of Europe's largest architecture collections
• Free admission
• Exhibitions on architecture, design and urban development
• Café Blom in the museum
• Location on Skeppsholmen next to Moderna Museet

Permanent exhibition

• ArkDes samling: Utan gränser – Original objects from ArkDes's collection and stories about the encounter between Swedish architecture and the outside world, looking at the present, past and future of architecture and design.

Founded

1962

Operated by

Moderna Museet (myndighet)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission to the museum.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum is built on one level without obstructive thresholds, and the doors open automatically, except the door at Café Blom and to the café's outdoor seating area, where staff help. A lift runs between the foyer on Exercisplan 4 and the entrance on the waterside. Accessible toilets with changing tables are in the lecture hall foyer and in Café Blom (doors 90 cm wide). A wheelchair can be borrowed at reception, and folding chairs are available in the exhibition halls. An induction loop is in the Auditoriet, the Biografen and the Aula ArkDes. Disabled parking spaces are on Exercisplan and at the entrance from the waterside.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Baby changing facilities

ArkDes Studio runs drop-in workshops for children and families, including during the autumn break. Changing tables are in the accessible toilets.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on the island of Skeppsholmen and can also be reached on foot or by bicycle. The main entrance is at the front, via Exercisplan.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Coat check
• Lockers

Café Blom (Tuesday–Thursday and Saturday–Sunday 11:00–17:00, Friday 11:00–19:00). Lockable lockers for outdoor clothing and larger bags, and an unattended cloakroom, are in the foyer. There is a packed-lunch area for families and school classes on level 1 at Moderna Museet.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Rooms can be booked jointly with Moderna Museet (telephone 08-520 236 12).

Plan your visit