Vällingby, an ABC-town

Sweden had major housing shortages during the first half of the 20th century.  An example of a solution that architects all over the world study is Vällingby outside Stockholm built in the 1950s. 

Vällingby 1955, Photo: Lennart of Petersens

The aim of Vällingby was to integrate the following elements:

A for “Arbete” – work
B for “Bostad” – housing
C for “Centrum” – center

A planned town was the goal and the modern movement the means.  The architects wanted to make not just another sleepy suburb town, but a so-called ABC-town.  They dreamed of creating a living neighbourhood with workplaces, housing, and a town centre.  The town centre had a church, stores, a cinema and meeting places that could be reached by subway. The ABC-town Vällingby is closely related to the social democratic idea of an ideal city and social environment.

Window in the kitchen 
The apartments have many features that cater for the modern family of the 1950s.  For instance the mother could prepare food in the kitchen while keeping an eye out on her children in the bathtub.  How?  Through a window in the kitchen that looks into the bathroom.  This is a good example of the modern movement's focus on function, but also how it can be difficult to use the apartments when lifestyles change. 

The housing nearest the town centre is densely built-up areas of high-rise apartment blocks and in the periphery are groups of terrace houses.  Private lots were minimal, as larger areas of common land were favoured.  The former Prime Minister Olof Palme once lived in Vällingby with his family. 

Effects of the Swedish rationalism  
Professor in Ethnology Åke Daun, who is sometimes referred to as the “guru” of Swedish character, has studied the ABC-town model of Vällingby.  He states that no other Western society has given so much power to government and public planners than Sweden. 

“The philosophy of planning entails that one believes in the possibilities of arranging social conditions for the best of all citizens by means of rational thinking.”

His thesis is that rationality in the Swedish mentality has played a key role for the character of towns and suburbs in modern Sweden.  In his dissertation he was critical of this rational approach to architecture and structuring of peoples’ lives, which at the time caused uproar in the Swedish academic world. The eight panel speakers at the Europa Nostra Forum on “Add Modernism” did not mention Åke Daun.

Grand reopening of Vällingby 
At the moment Vällingby is being restored and expanded preparing for a grand reopening in 2008 (see picture of new commercial centre).  The total costs of the renovations are 350 million Euro.

Reference
Daun, Åke 1999, Swedish Mentality, The Pennsylvalnia State University Press, University Park, 236 p.