Dicksonska Palatset ‹ Liljewall Arkitekter – Göteborg, Stockholm & Malmö

Dicksonska Palatset

Restoration and careful renovation / Gothenburg

Dicksonska Palatset in central Gothenburg has finally woken up from its sleeping beauty slumber. For a long time, the 150-year-old building has been used sparingly, but now the property owner Higab wants to let more people enjoy the magnificent staircase and the fantastic halls. Initially, we were commissioned to carry out a feasibility study where we presented various concept ideas for how the building could be used. The ideas were well received and we were honored to work further on the project, which was completed in the fall of 2024.

Year

2018 - 2022

Location

Parkgatan 2, 412 56 Gothenburg

Customer

Higab

Contact

Elin Karlsson
0765-48 70 40
liljewall

To meet today’s requirements for a public building, an extensive but careful renovation of the interior has begun.

The palace is transformed

Dicksonska Palatset has a very central location in Gothenburg, just a stone’s throw from Avenyn, the Garden Society and walking distance to both the inner city and the central station. The palace is currently owned and managed by Higab. For a long time, the building has been used sparingly and has been closed to the public. Work has now begun to open up the palace and transform it into a place to socialize and eat well. The ambition is that none of the additions we make will be visible. In the work with Dicksonska Palatset the existing whole is what is important.

A Gothenburg gem with a rich history

The history of Dicksonska Palatset dates back to the mid-19th century. In 1862, Baron and merchant Oscar Dickson had this built as his private family palace. The palace is almost a thousand square meters in size and was designed by architect William Allen Boulnois, who designed a number of buildings in Vasastaden in Gothenburg. In 1923, the Dickson family sold the palace to Margaretaskolan, which ran home economics schools around Sweden. In 1968, the house was sold to the city of Gothenburg.

Gentle renovation

Dicksonska Palatset is a listed building, which means that measures must be taken in consultation with the County Administrative Board. During the preliminary study and design, there was close cooperation with antiquarians to propose methods and solutions that are consistent with the history and character of the building. FO Peterson has now established itself in the palace and the restoration and reconstruction have begun. To begin with, a small hole has been made in the ceiling to bring down demolition debris from the upper floors. The majority of the debris comes from the attic where a poured-in floor is being demolished in a former laundry room. When the suspended ceiling on the floor below has also been demolished, it turns out that the original stucco has been preserved, and that the walls there have never been repainted. This gives us an opportunity to understand the original color scheme.

The essential rooms are well preserved, but the building needs to be adapted to modern requirements, such as ventilation, accessibility and fire escape. The roofscape has changed in recent decades but will be restored.

Restaurant concept and office tenants

During the year, Higab has been looking for restaurateurs, restaurant concepts and tenants for the floors that will house offices. Two floors next to the eye-catching staircase house old banquet halls, a modern kitchen, bar and meeting room. The plan is to make the rooms ready for a restaurant, party and conference. In Dicksonska’s early history, there was a substantial wine collection in the cellar – a collection that was sold for a higher sum than the building itself when the palace was sold. Now the wine cellar is making a comeback in a modern version when the space is adapted for wine storage and wine tastings. On the front of the palace, the orangeries are being restored to their original appearance, and finally the palace will be framed by a fence in the same 19th-century style as the building itself.