To build on cultural heritage – discourse about Liljevalchs art gallery and its annex

This thesis is about Liljevalchs art gallery in Stockholm and its intended annex, which is now under construction and will be completed in 2021. The purpose of the thesis is to identify different kinds of discourse regarding both Liljevalchs art gallery and the annex. This is done through a discourse analysis of different types of texts about Liljevalchs, written by art historians, Stockholm City Museum and Stockholm Planning Office. Texts from the architectural competition of the annex, describing the annex as well as the original art gallery, are also analyzed. In discourse analysis, language is thought not only to play a significant part in constructing the environment, but also in shaping our opinions about it. The thesis aims to make the different discourses visible, so that they can be examined and analyzed regarding their consequences, especially for the cultural heritage. Liljevalchs art gallery was built between 1914 and 1916, and was designed by the Swedish architect Carl Bergsten (1879-1935). It was the first independent, public museum for contemporary art in Sweden. In the 1980’s it was appointed as a building of particularly high cultural value by the Stockholm City Museum. It is described, both in the discourses of architectural history and cultural history, as a pioneering work in Swedish architecture as one of the first modernistic buildings in Sweden. It is especially valued for its sculpture hall, its atrium, its main entrance and also its interior. The discourse of cultural history values Liljevalchs long tradition as an important institution in the Swedish art society, as well as the fact that its interior and exterior are well-preserved. The architects behind the winning entry in the architectural competition of the annex, Wingårdhs Arkitektkontor, emphasize the similarities between the original art gallery and the annex in their description of it. However, the pictures of their entry shows an annex which differs from its main building. The jury in the competition praises the annex as a playful addition to Liljevalchs, and connects it to Liljevalchs folksy spirit rather than to Bergstens iconic building. If this discourse about the annex will remain will be a question for future research.Uppsats för avläggande av filosofie kandidatexamen med huvudområdet kulturvård med inriktning mot bebyggelseantikvarisk verksamhet 2020, 180 hp Grundnivå 2020:1