Right-wing Sweden Democrats using architecture to push "traditional nationalism" says Front
Stockholm design studio Front has expressed concerns that the far-right Sweden Democrats party, which following the general election is now Sweden's second-biggest party, is appropriating the country's cultural heritage.
"They're very interested in the expression of some kind of traditional nationalism," Front co-founder Sofia Lagerkvist told Dezeen. "So their thing is all about architecture, weirdly. There shouldn't be any more concrete boxes ? that kind of rhetoric."
Designers "embarrassed" by rise of Sweden Democrats
The party recently proposed a scheme under which wooden buildings constructed in a traditional Swedish vernacular style would not require planning permission, in a bid to increase construction and solve the country's housing shortage. "It's this traditional red-and-white house that looks like it's 200 years old," explained Front's other founder Anna Lindgren. "They're saying this is a house that could be built everywhere because it looks good and it's Swedish."
One in five Swedes voted for the Sweden Democrats (SD) in the national election on 11 September, turning what was once a fringe movement with neo-Nazi connections into the second biggest party in Sweden.
Read: Brutalist buildings threatened by right-wing politicians as part of "attack on the welfare state"
While 73 parliamentary seats don't garner the party a majority, the SD will now either...
-------------------------------- |
Lasvit showcases glass-making techniques in Milan design week installation | Design | Dezeen |
|
Plaza Residence: A Seamless Blend of Modern Design and Heritage
24-04-2024 08:27 - (
Architecture )
Mississippi Loft: Integrating Victorian Style in Modern Living
24-04-2024 08:27 - (
Architecture )