Guidad visning med Kjell Furberg

Skandia-Teatern, opened in 1923 and designed by Asplund, is one of Sweden’s most distinctive cinemas – an architectural masterpiece where the magic of film is enhanced by the grandeur of the space.

From the moment it opened, the cinema attracted attention for its neoclassical interior and was rightly called “Europe’s most beautiful cinema auditorium”. The interior is an artistic treasure, with details created by leading Swedish artists of the 1920s. Murals, embroideries and sculptures depict the worlds of film and theatre, from Shakespeare to Hollywood’s golden age. Skandia is more than a cinema – it is a living cathedral of film, where Asplund’s architecture and artistic decoration make every screening an aesthetic and historical experience.

During the tour, we gain a deeper insight into the cinema’s architectural design and the details that make Skandia one of Asplund’s most celebrated works. Over the years, Skandia underwent several extensive alterations that distorted Asplund’s original vision, but in the late 1980s an ambitious restoration project began to restore the cinema’s unique design.

When Skandiabiografen suddenly found itself without a tenant shortly after its centenary in autumn 2023 and was at risk of being lost, Stockholms filmfestival launched a crowdfunding campaign to keep Skandia alive. For the first time in nearly a decade, Skandiabiografen is now open to the public again, showing films on the big screen! Welcome to a guided tour of one of Stockholm’s most iconic cinema auditoriums!

Guide:

Kjell Furberg

Kjell Furberg is a cinema historian, an Asplund expert, and the author and photographer of the book “Svenska biografer” (Prisma 2000). He tells the story of Sweden’s most important architect of the 20th century, Gunnar Asplund, who designed the interior of the world-famous Skandia in 1923 and invited eight young artists to decorate the cinema. Here, Asplund worked with humour and wit, subtle hints and surprises.

Join Kjell on a delightful cultural and historical stroll through Skandia’s vestibule, rotunda, promenades and cinema auditorium – a fascinating eye-opener!

In 1989, Kjell Furberg created the exhibition and catalogue “Biografen – The Picture Palace in Sweden” at Arkitekturmuseet. During the 1990s, he carried out a nationwide survey of cinemas for Riksantikvarieämbetet. In 2001, he was one of the producers of the publication “Skandiabiografen – En appell” and the accompanying Skandia exhibition at Konstakademien.