House of Sweden

House of Sweden has quickly established itself as a unique meeting place in the United States for the promotion of Swedish political, cultural, business and research interests.

This is the first time a "Sweden House" has been erected abroad under the auspices of the Government, bringing the Swedish Embassy and Swedish business under one roof. Apart from the Embassy, House of Sweden contains 19 corporate apartments and an Event Center. The building has an exclusive location in the old district of Georgetown by the Potomac River.

In House of Sweden, the architects (Gert Wingårdh and Tomas Hansen) combine openness and transparency. The building fosters a positive atmosphere and a foundation for creative cooperation between Sweden and the United States. In November 2007 House of Sweden won the Kasper Salin Prize for best building.

Activities

The programme of activities at House of Sweden, Washington DC, runs from October 2006 to June 2008 and is the most extensive promotion and public diplomacy project ever conducted at a Swedish mission abroad.

The programme of activities is divided into six themes:

• Architecture & Design (October - December 2006)
• Cars & Transportation (January - March 2007)
• Water & Environment (April - July 2007)
• Children First! (September - November 2007)
• Innovation & Technology (January - March 2008)
• Discover Sweden (April - June 2008)

The building and the programme of activities have attracted great attention in both the US and Swedish media. Since its inauguration in October 2006, House of Sweden has so far had around 50 000 visitors, more than 25 major exhibitions and more than 70 seminars, symposiums and meetings.