Over the past century, Stockholm has gone from a poor port city to a metropolis. When Katarinahuset was built, it was in a city that looked completely different. Since then, the building has witnessed the salvage of the Vasa ship, the conversion to right-hand traffic, the maiden voyage of the Katarina elevator and tens of thousands of sunsets over the rooftops from the front row.

Together with the city, Katarinahuset has grown and changed its appearance. The original building was designed by architect Gustaf Wickman and built in 1909 as a residential and office building in heavy brick architecture. During the glory days of functionalism, Katarinahuset was connected to several other building structures and clad in a typical marble costume. This was commissioned by the Kooperativa förbundet (Cooperative Association), which gave the building the nickname KF-huset. The retail space on the ground floor initially housed a Special-Konsum, and later Kvickly and Domus. At the top of the Katarina Elevator, KF’s symbol of eternity was enthroned. From its location on Söder’s heights, Katarinahuset became an early example of architecture as marketing, and together with the newly built Slussen Carousel, it formed a symbol of Sweden’s optimism for the future.

When A House opens Katarinahuset for a new generation, we do so with great respect for the building’s soul and history, but also with the conviction that it is time for something completely new. The floor plans will meet the needs of today’s Stockholmers and are decorated with the keywords functionalist avant-garde. KF’s iconic eternity logo has been given a new look and become a symbol of the building. The view has been left untouched.