Collective House

building, Stockholm, Sweden

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June 17, 2026

Quick Summary

The Collective House, completed in 1935 in Stockholm, Sweden, was a pioneering example of Modernist architecture designed by Sven Markelius. This seven-story building aimed to emancipate women from household chores by providing communal kitchens, restaurants, and childcare centers on the ground floor.12

The house contains 57 apartments, ranging from one to four bedrooms, all designed to feel spacious. Working mothers could even order food directly to their apartments via a small food lift. Each apartment features a balcony, creating a dynamic pattern of open and closed spaces on the exterior. The Collective House was the first of its kind in Sweden and significantly influenced Swedish Modernism. It was restored in 1991.2

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Sven Markelius
…more experimental works is the Collective House (1935) in Stockholm, which provided communal kitchens, restaurants, nurseries, and other domestic facilities to accommodate families in which both parents worked outside the home.
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…more experimental works is the Collective House (1935) in Stockholm, which provided communal kitchens, restaurants, nurseries, and other domestic facilities to accommodate families in which both parents worked outside the home.
Read More