Götaplatsen is a public square in

Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...

, Sweden, at the southern end of Avenyn, the city's main boulevard. The square was inaugurated when Gothenburg held a major international industrial exhibition, In 1923, celebrating the city's 300th anniversary. Götaplatsen is Gothenburg's cultural hub, enclosed by the Gothenburg Concert Hall (where the

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (GSO; ) is a Swedish symphony orchestra based in Gothenburg. The GSO is resident at the Gothenburg Concert Hall at Götaplatsen. The orchestra received the title of the National Orchestra of Sweden () in 1997. Ba ...

resides), the Gothenburg Museum of Art, the

Gothenburg City Theatre Gothenburg City Theatre () opened in 1934 at Götaplatsen square in Gothenburg, Sweden. The theatre was designed by Swedish architect Carl Bergsten who gave the exterior a Neoclassical architecture, Neo-Classical look with a touch of Streamline ...

and the City Library. At the centre of the square presides the

Poseidon Poseidon (; ) is one of the twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and mythology, presiding over the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 He was the protector of seafarers and the guardian of many Hellenic cit ...

statue by

Carl Milles Carl Milles (; 23 June 1875 – 19 September 1955) was a Swedes, Swedish sculpture, sculptor. He was married to artist Olga Milles (née Granner) and brother to Ruth Milles and half-brother to the architect Evert Milles. Carl Milles sculpted the ...

—the statue has become one of the symbols of the city. On the city's annual culture festival different Swedish musical artists usually perform free at the square, bands like

Hardcore Superstar Hardcore Superstar is a Swedish Rock music, rock band from Gothenburg, formed in 1997. They have released eleven studio albums. History The first ten years (1997–2007) 1997–2004 Hardcore Superstar was formed in Gothenburg, Sweden in ...

, Mustasch and Teddybears have all performed on this occasion.

History

Götaplatsen got its name in 1914, but until 1923 the area was strictly rural. Götaplatsen was designed by the

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

s Sigfrid Ericson and Arvid Bjerke and construction began in 1921. The Gothenburg Museum of Art was completed just in time before Gothenburg's 300th anniversary in 1923, the Gothenburg Exhibition. Much of the southern part of Götaplatsen is terraced in stone with wide stairs leading up to the Gothenburg Museum of Art's seven high arches. Until the 1980s, the Museum of Art's entrance was positioned at the top of the archway. Today however, the entrance has been moved a number of levels further down, closer to the street level, where the Hasselblad Centre is also located. Across the gallery, which is located as a side-house to the Gothenburg Museum of Art at Götaplatsen's southeastern corner, stood a triumphal arch which was the entrance to the exhibition area during the Gothenburg Exhibition. This triumphal arch was demolished in 1928. The statue was inaugurated on 24 September 1931. The

was opened on 29 September 1934. The following year, in 1935, the Gothenburg Concert Hall was built on the other side of Götaplatsen. In 1967, the

Gothenburg Public Library Gothenburg ( ; ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gubernatorial seat of Västra Götaland County, ...

was opened. This is next door to Lorensbergsteatern, below the

across Berzeliigatan.

References

External links

1923 establishments in Sweden Art gallery districts Buildings and structures completed in 1923 Fountains in Sweden Monuments and memorials in Sweden Squares in Gothenburg Listed buildings in Gothenburg History of Gothenburg Avenyn Culture of Sweden World's fair sites in Sweden Sculptures of Poseidon Outdoor sculptures in Gothenburg 1920s establishments in Gothenburg and Bohus County {{Gothenburg-stub