St. Petri Church, Klippan. Photographed by Johan Dehlin.
INTEL | FIRST LOOK
FOR THE GRAVE, AND BEYOND
The enigmatic Sigurd Lewerentz (1885–1975) rarely spoke publicly and even less frequently published his thoughts on design, and yet he is one of the most influential modernist architects to come out of Sweden. On October 1 through August 28, 2022, ArkDes (Sweden’s national center for architecture and design in Stockholm) opened Sigurd Lewerentz: Architect of Death and Life, the first major exhibition of the work of Lewerentz since the 1980s. Initially trained as a mechanical engineer and architect, Lewerentz set up an independent practice in Stockholm in 1911, and four years later he won the competition to design a new cemetery in Stockholm. His proposal, submitted with Gunnar Asplund, would yield one of Lewerentz’s most famous projects: the Woodland Cemetery, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Throughout his career, Lewerentz would continue to design cemeteries, as well as churches, office buildings, products, and more. The exhibition will include photographs, drawings, sketches, and models. —Rachel Gallaher
