Umeå Town Hall
Umeå Town Hall was built after the fire in 1888 that burnt the city to the ground. It was erected on the site where the previous town hall had been located and was completed in 1890. The architect was Fredrik Olaus Lindström from Stockholm. In the new urban area development plan Lindström gave the town hall a prominent location next to the river bank, with the main facade facing south over the harbour on the Ume River.
History
First town hall
During the 17th century, Umeå only had a few public buildings; the church, the school and the town hall. The town hall was on the north of the Rådhustorget, and housed the judiciary, the city administration and other common functions. The town hall was a single-storey building, equipped with three windows facing the square and with a high hipped gable roof topped with a roof lantern.Second town hall
During the Great Northern War the town was completely burned down by the Russians several times, but after the peace in 1721 a new town hall was built at the north end of the Town Hall Square. The new town hall consisted of two floors with two wings and a small tower with a clock and striking clock. In the ground floor the city cellar was located, that is a tavern or restaurant, and a debtor's prison. Upstairs there was a ballroom and a smaller hall for meetings. The west wing had two rooms which served as teaching facilities.Third town hall
A new and larger town hall with two floors was built in 1814 on the block north of the Town Hall Square with the main facade facing south. The building was designed by Samuel Enander who was an architect at the Överintendentsämbetet. In accordance with the Royal Building Regulation which came into force in 1776, public buildings had to be built in stone but Umeå was granted dispensation and the town hall was instead built of timber.The ground floor included the city cellar, auction rooms, and the remand prison. The upper floor's eastern half had a large hall and room for refreshments, conversation rooms and an atrium. The western half of the upper floor was the session hall of the Magistrate and a common room for city elders.
The height of the rooms on the upper floor was higher than the rooms on the ground floor and the building's facade, which had a strict and smooth Empire style, had a richer range upstairs.
New design
Umeå had an economic boom around the mid-19th century and the public buildings received much needed renovation. The town hall was fitted with white painted panelling and the facade had six Dorian colossal pilasters. In 1880 a telegraph station was moved to the town hall.Current Town Hall
Fredrik Olaus Lindström – whom in 1889-90 created the blueprints for Umeå City Church - was also commissioned to design the new town hall. Lindström was inspired by the Dutch Renaissance style, which allowed a certain asymmetry. The many towers were designed with a widely varying height and shape. Otherwise, the façade is taut and built with red bricks. The portals, the areas surrounding the windows and other details are using light sandstone. For economical reasons some parts, however, use cheaper materials such as cast iron coated with oil paint in matching color.Great emphasis was placed on the surroundings of the town hall beside the river. Among other things a new esplanade from the town hall towards the north was created. A park was built to give the town hall a monumental position. In the garden is a bust to Gustav Rosén who was on the town council and rose to be the Governor of the county.