Högdalen

Högdalen is a multifaceted district located in Söderort, within the City of Stockholm. The district borders Bandhagen, Örby, Rågsved, Fagersjö, and Gubbängen and has a rich history that stretches back several decades.

The city plan for Högdalen was adopted in 1951 and was inspired by the innovative ABC city of Vällingby. As early as 1956, most of the buildings in the district were completed. Despite later densification, Högdalen has largely retained its original appearance, with the exception of the significant changes undergone by the culturally and historically important central complex.

Högdalen originally took its name from a croft that belonged to the Örby estate in Brännkyrka socken. The name “Högdalen” most likely derives from the area’s topography, where high hills surround a valley along what is now Magelungsvägen. The croft Högdalen is first mentioned in a land register from the late 18th century. The croft was located approximately where Magelungsvägen now crosses the Nynäsbanan railway and was destroyed by a fire around 1960. The area where Högdalen is now located originally belonged to Örby slott and was largely undeveloped until the 1950s. The Nynäsbanan railway passed by the croft Högdalen, and there was also a station called “Högdalen” here from 1929, which served as a stop until 1948.

As early as the beginning of the 20th century, there were plans to develop the land in Högdalen, and plots for villa housing were created. A map from the 1920s shows a large number of villa plots in the area, but no construction ever materialized. In the 1940s, HSB—on the initiative of its director and architect Sven Wallander—acquired land from the property company Villastadsbolaget AB Örby, one of the three companies that owned the land. In 1951, the City of Stockholm purchased the land from HSB on the condition that 20 percent of the leasehold plots would be reserved for HSB. It was also Sven Wallander who proposed the name “Högdalen” for the new suburb.

Högdalen and its northern neighbor Bandhagen were originally planned as a single, larger suburb and as a southern counterpart to the ABC city of Vällingby. However, in 1950 the City of Stockholm decided that Bandhagen and Högdalen would become two smaller, independent suburbs, and they were separated as their own districts from Örby in 1952. Bandhagen was developed first and still retains much of the original urban planning ideal from the 1940s.

The city plan for Högdalen was adopted in 1951 and designed by city planning director Sven Markelius. The plan had a more modern character, featuring a central complex similar to that of the ABC city of Vällingby. By 1956, most of the buildings had been completed. Högdalens centrum, with its wide range of shops, market square, cinema, library, swimming and sports hall, as well as the department stores Kvickly and Tempo, was inaugurated on June 7, 1959. The centre was later renovated between 1994 and 1995, and the square is now adorned with Willy Gordon’s fountain sculpture “Malm och vatten” from 1962. Högdalen metro station was built above the track area and came into operation on November 22, 1954. The current station building was inaugurated on November 3, 1957.

Högdalen consists of three main areas: an eastern and a western residential area, which are divided by the metro line, as well as a business area in the southeast, Högdalens industriområde. In the western part of the district is the town centre, with larger and more extensive buildings. Here, there are high-rise buildings along Skebokvarnsvägen, and on the western side of Skebokvarnsvägen there are three residential groups that together comprise more than 250 terraced houses built between 1956 and 1960.

Högdalens centrum is characterized by tall point blocks that mark the area in a manner typical of the period. One of these is “Tupphuset”, an 11-storey building on Harpsundsvägen, designed by architect Curt Strehlenert. Another is a 13-storey building west of the metro hall, designed by Karl Gustav Brokvist. The latter is connected to Högdalskyrkan, which was designed by Nils-Gunnar Nilsson.

In the eastern part of Högdalen, more traditional “folkhem architecture” dominates, with three-storey slab buildings grouped around green inner courtyards. In Högdalen, one can see the transition between two different urban planning ideals that were prominent in Stockholm’s suburban planning in the 1950s: an older, smaller-scale variant and a more modern, larger-scale version.

Vantörs kyrka was inaugurated in 1959 and has been a protected ecclesiastical cultural monument since 2001. The church’s gilded rooster, designed by the sculptor Arne Jones and named “Church Rooster of the Year” in 1997, has become a symbol of Högdalen. North of the church stood the building of Högdalen’s former school from the 1960s, designed by architect Carl Nyrén. It was used until 2015 by Fria teatern and Högdalens dockteater. In 2016, the building was demolished to make way for new housing. Near the church is also Högdalens sim- och idrottshall from 1967, designed by Åke E. Lindqvist. Among newer buildings are youth housing units in the Kantjärnet block at Skebokvarnsvägen 376. The elongated six-storey building has access galleries facing the metro and bright red balconies facing the road. Along Magelungsvägen, Highvalley Skateworld opened in October 2012 and is one of Europe’s largest skateboard facilities.

Högdalens industriområde, officially known as Högdalens företagsområde, is located in the southeastern part of Högdalen and was planned to provide workplaces for residents of the new suburb. Development of the area began in the late 1950s and was completed in the mid-1970s. Since then, new buildings and operations have been added. The area includes, among other facilities, Högdalsdepån, an electrical high-voltage substation, Högdalenverket with Högdalsgasverket, and Återvinningscentral Vantör. The City of Stockholm aims to further develop the area into an industrial district focused on environmental technology and service-sector workplaces.

Högdalens centrum is a significant part of the district and has over the years served as a hub for community activities and commerce. When Bandhagens centrum was completed in 1954 and Högdalen was still in the planning stage, it became clear that a larger central complex was needed to make the two new suburbs attractive to potential residents. The location for this major suburban centre was therefore chosen to be Högdalen, and the project was conceived as a regional centre. The developer of the project was AB Familjebostäder. The centre’s buildings were arranged along a car-free shopping street, which also functioned as a market square. At the eastern end of the street is Högdalens metro station, and at the western end stands Vantörs kyrka. South of the centre there is an extensive parking area. The centre was inaugurated on June 7, 1957. Between 1994 and 1995, the centre complex was renovated, including the addition of a climate-protective glass roof over the walkways. Approximately 70 percent of the centre is currently (as of 2022) owned by the real estate company Citycon. At present, there are around 50 shops with a total floor area of 11,400 square meters.

Högdalen is a diverse district with a fascinating history and continues to develop as a vibrant part of Stockholm.