Clean lines, light colors and natural materials - simplicity distinguishes Swedish design and architecture. Interest for design and interior decoration has never been greater in Stockholm. Every new boutique, restaurant or hotel has been carefully decorated with Scandinavian natural wood tones. The Stockholm Furniture Fair, February 7th - 9th, will bring together the latest in Nordic design. And this year will see the inauguration of Arlanda Airport's 83-meters high spectacular control tower and the celebration of Swedish glass and colorful textiles.

Nordic Design on Display
The Stockholm Furniture Fair, February 7th - 11th, is the interior-design fair where Nordic furniture, interior design, lighting and trends for public and private settings will take center stage. Young Nordic design blends with classic and traditional design. Over the last few years the Furniture Fair has become the leading fair of this type in Scandinavia with over 800 exhibitors. While the fair is underway, Stockholm will be filled with activities. The Design Center on Skeppsholmen, for example, will be featuring Young Swedish Design from February 7th to March 11th. Young unestablished designers peer into the future and display their creative prototypes. The Swedish Society of Crafts and Design (www.svenskform.se) started the project in 1998 with the support of IKEA.

Sweden's Architecture Year 2001 will celebrate all of Swedish architecture and design with exhibitions and seminars, and the Stockholm Furniture Fair will contribute with a workshop on a new international design competition initiated by the Swedish administration. Designers will be able to compete in company profiles, architecture and graphic design. "The Chair" in both a Swedish and international perspective will also be getting extra attention at the exhibition "Today's Chair." Stockholm Furniture Fair is a professional fair, but it will be open to the public on Sunday, Feb. 11th, from 10 AM to 6 PM. www.stofair.se/furniture/eng

Art and Architecture in the New Control Tower
The trend in Swedish architecture is to integrate architecture and art. The new control tower at Arlanda Airport was created by Gert Wing�rdh, who is known throughout Europe for his Scandinavian style. The control tower's design brings to mind two birds watching over the airplanes. One black and one white bird, modeled on the ancient Scandinavian ravens Hugin and Munin, have been woven together to symbolize technology and people. The control tower's exterior was decorated by Silja Rantaanen, while Sven Experie wrote short sayings that have been molded like tattoos into the entire side of the 85-meter high exterior. The sayings, which can be read from the ground, are words of wisdom to reflect upon. The exterior of the 83-meter high control tower will be finished in February or March, and the interior will be ready in June. The tower will go into service once the installation of the electronic and computer equipment has been completed. The tower will be open to the public toward the end of the year.

Designed at Stockholm's Hotels
In January Stockholm will see the addition of 543 new hotel rooms, when the Nordic Hotel opens at its new address in downtown Stockholm at Vasaplan. In addition to being a complement to Stockholm's fully-booked hotels, it's going to offer its visitors an exciting design setting. The hotel reflects its two personalities with the theme "one hotel - two temperaments." Lighting architect Kai Piippo and sound architect Hans �hrn have created an open, intimate gathering place in the lobby of the Nordic Light area, while maritime tones fill the Nordic Sea area.

Swedish colors and design in their winter garb will be on display at Hotel Birger Jarl from January 25th to February 25th. Photographs by Peter Grant will exhibit different aspects of hotel rooms from the ice suites of the IceHotel and the exclusive hotel rooms decorated by Swedish designers at Hotel Birger Jarl.

Glass & Colorful Fabrics
Swedish glass has a strong international reputation and is known for its elegance, color, playfulness, experimentation and advanced techniques. The mysteries of glass have been known to mankind for almost 10,000 years. The exhibition "Glass - Today's artists meet the Museum of National Antiquities" is a sharp, beautiful little exhibition where 16 of Sweden's leading glass designers from Kosta Boda and Orrefors will display their work at the Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm. The exhibition "Glass" starts at the Museum of National Antiquities on April 16th. www.historiska.se

30 years ago ten designers started their own production of printed fabrics with strong artistic patterns. 10-gruppen (The 10 Group) quickly became a concept and achieved great success in Sweden and abroad. Working from a common aesthetic principle, each member has developed an individual identity. They have created colorful, graphically sharp patterns in co-ordinated collections, which have been printed by Bor�s W�fveri ( Bor�s Textile Mill). They have designed collections for IKEA, R�rstrands, and others. They have used their fabrics in a vital, new approach to furniture, interior d�cor, clothing and a wide selection of small, useful objects.

The exhibition "10-gruppen" will be featured at the Nationalmuseum from March 30th to August 12th, 2001. www.nationalmuseum.se/