A home for the unique legacy of Alfred Nobel
The Nobel Center will be a public building for science, literature and peace at Slussen in Stockholm. It will be an international symbol of knowledge, focusing on the Nobel Prize laureates’ stories and groundbreaking achievements.
The building is designed by David Chipperfield Architects, and the project is made possible thanks to generous donations from the Erling-Persson Foundation and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.
The will of Alfred Nobel presents a clear vision of working towards the greatest benefit to humankind. The Nobel Prize has since 1901 been awarded to scientists, authors and peace advocates doing just that. This will serve as a home for their stories and groundbreaking discoveries.
The Nobel Center will be a building for people wanting to understand our world. A building for people wanting to know more about how the contributions of the Nobel Prize laureates have changed and continue to shape our lives.
It will offer a space for inspiration, focus and reflection. A place to revisit that offers knowledge and a hope that a better future is possible.
“The new Nobel house will serve as an international symbol of knowledge – warm, welcoming and open to everyone. The efforts of the Nobel Prize laureates show how knowledge may change our world. What is impossible today may become possible tomorrow. Our goal is to make this power available to more people.”
Hanna Stjärne, Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation
An international power hub
A home is now being built for Alfred Nobel’s unique legacy, where his handwritten will is to be exhibited for the first time – the document that served as the basis for the Nobel Prize.
Here, visitors may explore a large permanent exhibition on Alfred Nobel, the history of the Nobel Prize and how the efforts of the laureates have changed the world.
There are spaces for exhibitions, programmes and experiences covering everything from black holes and medical advances to literary classics and how to combat poverty.
The building contains an auditorium where lectures, scientific symposia and various kinds of cultural events may be organised.
Furthermore, the Nobel Center also offers a venue for large interdisciplinary meetings linked to the Nobel Prize, which are currently organised around the world.
The Nobel Prize enjoys a unique position in the world and an appeal that will play an important role for Sweden, its education system, research community and business community as well as for Stockholm as a tourist destination.
“The new Nobel house will become an important meeting place, a hub in international academia where Sweden, due to the strong appeal of the Nobel Prize, occupies a position at the very centre of the knowledge and science society.”
Astrid Söderbergh Widding, Chair of the Nobel Foundation
A warm and welcoming building
The Nobel Center will be a building for Nobel Prize laureates, scientists, students, schoolchildren and visitors from Sweden and the rest of the world. The building offers a unique access to the Nobel Prize laureates, and this will be the public place in the world where people have the greatest chances of meeting some of the most influential voices of our time.
The Nobel Prize already now attracts a young audience, and the Nobel Center will be a place where laureates serve as role models that may spark an interest and commitment to science, literature and peace.
The building will be a warm and inviting place for exploring the Nobel Prizes and their significance – historically, today and for future generations.
“I think that the new Nobel Center can be a great place to promote contact between scientists and science in general, and the young generation, so in my view, the most important goal of this center is to inspire the new generation in science, literature, and peace.“
Anne L’Huillier, Nobel Prize in physics 2023
Slussen – an accessible location at the heart of the city
The Nobel Center will be located in Stockholm along Stadsgårdskajen at Slussen. The building will be found in one of the most beautiful spots in the city along a future museum promenade by the waterfront, easily accessible for everyone by public transport, on foot, by bicycle or by boat. The building is located right at the quay facing Gamla stan, Skeppsholmen and Djurgården.
A new landmark takes shape
The Nobel Center offers a new landmark on the waterfront in the Swedish capital – an international symbol of knowledge, science, literature and peace. Its location at Slussen, where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea, has for a long time been shaped by infrastructure, industry and the movement of people.
The Nobel Center is designed by David Chipperfield Architects. The building consists of four interconnected volumes that interact with the buildings of Södermalm and the size and height of the 17th-century buildings in Gamla stan.
With the new terrace in front of the entrance, the ground floor becomes an extension of the public space, open and transparent, with entrances to the north and south as well as a foyer with a shop and a restaurant. The terrace in front of the entrance and the open roof terraces will become new meeting spots in Stockholm with an amazing view of both the Baltic Sea and Lake Mälaren.
The building is constructed using recycled bricks. Bricks have characterised the architecture of Stockholm for centuries. The red shades in Stockholm’s classic brick buildings, such as City Hall, set the tone for the building.
This property was originally intended for an office building, for which there is already an approved detailed development plan. The detailed development plan specifies clear and specific frameworks concerning the shape, height and width of the building.
“This project offers the opportunity to create the first dedicated home for the activities surrounding the Nobel Prize. Conceived as open house for science, literature and dialogue, we have sought to design a building that fulfils this responsibility on several scales.
Sir David Chipperfield, Founder of David Chipperfield Architects
Shaped by its prominent location on the Slussen waterfront, it has a distinctively civic presence rooted in its location and daily life of the city, while also reflecting the broader significance of the Nobel Prize. At a time when expertise and informed debate are more vital than ever, our hope is that the Nobel Center will stand as a resilient space of knowledge and exchange.”
Funding to construct the building and to create the permanent exhibition
The Nobel Center project is funded by the Erling-Persson Foundation and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. These two foundations donate a total of SEK 2.3 billion, evenly split.
These funds will be used to construct the building and to create the extensive permanent exhibition focusing on Alfred Nobel, the history of the Nobel Prize and how the laureates’ groundbreaking efforts have shaped our world.
The Nobel organisation will cover the remaining funds for the construction. Total cost is estimated of just over SEK 2.5 billion.
Exhibition: Project Nobel Center
On 15 January, a new exhibition opens at the Nobel Prize Museum, focusing on an ongoing project: creating a home for the unique legacy of Alfred Nobel.
Gain insight into the architects’ work, visions, and challenges. Listen to environmental scientists, particle physicists, and educators reflect on the possibilities offered by the new building. Consider which questions and themes you yourself would like to explore.
The exhibition is on display 15 January–23 April 2026.
Facts
- The building will focus on public activities and be open to everyone, all year round.
- The Nobel Prize award ceremony will still take place in Konserthuset Stockholm and the Nobel Prize banquet in City Hall.
- David Chipperfield Architects in Berlin is commissioned as the architect for the Nobel Center at Slussen in Stockholm.
- The building and permanent exhibition are funded by the Erling-Persson Foundation and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation together with the Nobel organisation. The two foundations donate a total of SEK 2.3 billion, evenly split.
- Constructing the building, including the new permanent exhibition, is estimated to cost just over SEK 2.5 billion.
- The Nobel Prize Museum will move to the new building, and the operations at Slussen will be financed by means of self-generated revenues originating from, for example, ticket sales, state and municipal support, as well as through collaborations with sponsors and partners, thus similarly to how the Nobel Prize Museum is currently financed.
- The gross area of the building is 13,000 sqm.
- The Nobel Center will be built on the property Södermalm 7:87 (Hamnmästaren) along Stadsgårdskajen at Slussen. This property was originally intended for a larger office building, for which there is already an approved detailed development plan. The detailed development plan specifies clear and specific frameworks concerning the shape, height and width of the building.
- Construction starts in 2027 and the building will open in 2031.
