The Making of Home and History The Revival of the Fin de Siècle Architecture

ABSTRACT

In this text, I will discuss how history is used and understood in different contemporary contexts regarding the domestic architecture of the fin de siècle (approx. 1880-1915). The focus is on apartment housing and my examples are all found in central Stockholm. I have used an ethnographical method with personal stories and experiences as my main focus while conducting interviews with people living in apartments in houses originally built around 1900. To place the interviews in a broader context they have been analyzed in relation to contemporary housing advertisements. In the first part of the article fin de siècle architecture is discussed as a coherent material style, modified to modern needs and dreams and given the function of a sign of among other things history, quality and status, legitimizing new modern lifestyles. In the second part, the use of history is considered as one among many factors in the project of homemaking and as being a possibility to transform yourself and your surroundings into better and more beautiful and interesting versions.

KEYWORDS:

• Fin-de-siècle
• housing
• domestic architecture
• use of history
• homemaking
• style
• identity

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

FUNDING

The project is funded by Ahlströms och Terserus stiftelse.

Notes

1. In this text I use the term fin de siècle to describe the time between approx. 1880–1915. The term was though used much narrower at the time, describing the years just around 1900.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maja Willén

I AM AN ART HISTORIAN CURRENTLY WORK AS A RESEARCHER AND LECTURER AT THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND AESTHETICS AT STOCKHOLM UNIVERSITY. MY THESIS, DEFENDED IN MAY 2012, FOCUS ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF IDEALS CONNECTED WITH THE CONTEMPORARY OPEN PLANNED HOME. IN THE STUDY, I AM DISCUSSING HOW NARRATIVES ABOUT THE LIFE IN OPEN PLAN APARTMENTS ARE BEING CONSTRUCTED, DISTRIBUTED, WHAT THEY CONTAIN AND HOW THE OPEN PLAN LIFESTYLE IS BEING FORMULATED AS AN IDEAL WAY OF LIVING YOUR LIFE. I WORKED WITH AN ETHNOGRAPHIC METHOD AND A DISCURSIVE PERSPECTIVE THROUGHOUT THE STUDY. IN MY ONGOING RESEARCH I AM INVESTIGATING CONTEMPORARY IDEAS ABOUT THE DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF THE “FIN DE SIÈCLE.” I AM LOOKING AT HOW IDEAS ABOUT HISTORY AND MODERNITY IS BEING MADE IN RELATION TO THE CONTEMPORARY USE OF THIS HISTORIC SCENE, AND HOW THESE CONCEPTS CAN BE RELATED TO IDEAS ABOUT IDENTITY, GENDER AND TASTE. THE ARTICLE PRESENTED BELOW IS A PART OF THIS PROJECT. [email protected]