Since the late 1950s a new geography building has been planned at Stockholm University. With the Geo-Science Building, this dream finally came true. Construction began in May 1995 and the departments moved in during the summer 1997. September 19, 1997, the Geo-Science Building was inaugurated.

The Geo-Science Building was designed by Anders Pyk, Dag Cavallius and Snorre Lindquist at Nyréns' architect's office in Stockholm after planning and sketches by Anders Pyk och Dag Cavallius at the same company. Interior designer was Per Åstrandsson, Creo, and the garden was designed by Bengt Isling, Nyréns. Building company was JM Byggnads AB. Akademiska Hus own the building.

2007–2008 the Geo-Science Building was rebuilt to house one additional department, the Department of Applied Environmental Science (today the Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry). In 2015 more than 300 solar panels was installed on the roofs to cover part of the building's electricity needs.

The Geo-Science Building fronts are carried out in glass, green-painted wooden panel, zinc plate, and concrete. The zinc plate covered roof has – as several other buildings at Frescati – large stainless ventilation hoods.

Greens villa, the building close to the S and U houses was the home of the garden director when the Royal Academy of Agriculture carried out botanical experiments in the area before the University main campus was located at Frescati. Today the building is used by the students association at the Faculty of Science and a lunch restaurant .

The building is surrounded by several old and newly planted oaks, maple trees, fruit-trees, roses, and bulbe.

The Geo-Science Building from the south. Photo: Niklas Björling, Stockholm University.

The Geo-Science Building offers pleasant, modern, well-equipped and beautiful rooms for both studies and research.

The teaching facilities in the Geo-Science Building are very good. In total there are about 50 different rooms for education: lecture halls, seminar rooms, practice rooms, laboratories for GIS, remote sensing, geochemistry etcetera. Teaching facilities are mainly located in house Y and U. The lecture halls are named Ahlmann (house U, level 3), De Geer (house Y, level 2 ), Högbom (house U, level 3), Nordenskiöld (house U, level 3), William-Olsson (house Y, level 1).

Department offices, room for faculty, researchers, academic staff, administrators, doctoral students and others are located in R, S, T, V and X.

In the building there are reading places and rooms for team work.

The wireless network is accessible in all parts of the building.

The Geo-Science Building contains many works of art. Around the almond-shaped lecture hall, Nordenskiöld, Paul Osipow has created a powerful work of art. His bright colors can also be found on the 2nd floor and in the main staircase in house U. In the hall that connects the three houses in the north, Anders Kappel large oxidized plates are displayed. The sculptures outside the building are created by Annika Svenbro. In the building there are also other works of art related to the departments and their history.

The main staircase in the U house. Photo: Anders Rickegård, Stockholm University.

The De Geer lecture hall in house Y. Photo: Anders Rickegård, Stockholm University.

Seminar room. Photo: Anders Rickegård, Stockholm University.

Reading area. Photo: Anders Rickegård, Stockholm University.

On the sketch, the building's parts and entrances are marked.

The Geo-Science building consists of two three-sided fan-shaped pavilions (house Y and U) in two and three stories and three five stories long houses (house X, T and R). The parts are connected by glassed bridges and bright halls with beautiful limestone flooring. The main entrances (Svante Arrhenius väg 8, 12 och 14) are found at the south side of the building.

Lecture halls, seminar rooms, laboratories and the library are mainly located in the Y and U houses. The offices and some of the laboratories are placed in three long houses (X, T and R) and in the parts connecting these houses. House V is the link between X and T, and house S links T to R.

Most of the Department of Human Geography's employees have their workplaces on level 3 and 4 in the X house.

The area of the Geo-Science Building is totally 25,000 m2.

Geo-Science Building – floor plan (pdf) (370 Kb)

Defibrillators are available in house S (2nd level, at the wardens), house U (2nd level) and house Y (2nd level, at the elevator). When a defibrillator is removed from the wall mount an alarm sounds and the campus security is altered.

First aid kits are available in at the wardens on the 2nd floor in house S, at the toilet rooms on the 1st floor in house U as well as in room X306.

Fire and burglar alarms are installed. Fire extinguishers are available on each floor, see the posted instructions. Evacuation in the event of fire or other danger is made as posted in the building. Evacuation assembly point is in the field south of the building.

Technical errors should be reported to the teacher. For urgent problems that needs to be addressed outside office hours, please call the University's emergency number 08-16 42 00.

Never leave valuables unattended in the building. Bring bags and clothing into the lecture halls.

Stockholm University security personnel are on campus around the clock. Security guards are from Tempest Security.

Tipline for anonymous reporting of crimes, threats, harassment or other matters related to security is 077-140 16 36 (you decide whether you want to remain anonymous). Security risks and more can also be reported online.

Report a security incident
In an emergency

Parking for disabled badge holders is available on the north side of the building. 

All floors can be reached by wheelchair. 

Lecture halls and seminar rooms are mainly found in house U and Y and all offer space for wheelchair users. Lecture hall are fitted with assistive listening devices.

The Department of Human Geography offices are located on level 3 and 4 in house X.

Inside the entrances at Svante Arrhenius väg 8, 12 and 14 there are lifts. There are signs for “Kulturgeografiska institutionen” (the Department of Human Geography). From Svante Arrhenius väg 8 (house S) and 12 (house U) there are lifts to the 3rd level and passageways to house X. From Svante Arrhenius väg 14 (house Y) there is a lift to the 2nd level, a walkway to house U with lift to the 3rd level and connection paths to house X. In house X there is a lift from level 3 to level 4.

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If you are a student or visitor please recycle your waste at a recycling station. If you are employed by the University please recycle your waste at a recycling station or a recycling centre.

Recycling station

In the Geo-Science Building waste is recycled at the recycling stations in the social and informal learning area on level 1 in the U house and in the kitchen on level 1 in the Y house. In the containers you can dispose cans and bottles you pay a deposit for, glass, domestic waste, metal, paper packaging, plastic packaging, newspapers and other waste paper. Similar recycling can also be done in the departments’ faculty lounges.

Recycling centre

In the Geo-Science Building a recycling centre is located close to the culvert on level 1 in the southern part of the T house. At the recycling centre you can leave, among other things, electrical scrap metal, fluorescent tubes, paper, plastic, wood and cardboard. The centre is open only to employees with access cards.

Litter bins

Waste should primarily be recycled at the recycling station or at the recycling centre, see above. In addition containers for paper waste are placed next to copiers and printers as well as in seminar rooms and lecture halls. Litter bins are available in all public areas, seminar rooms and lecture halls.

Ashtrays

There are no ashtrays in the Geo-Science Building. Stockholm University is a smoke-free zone. Smoking is not allowed within the University premises or within 15 meters from the buildings. Smoking is therefore prohibited in all parts of the Geo-Science Building, and within 15 meters from the building.

Most of the Geo-Science Building is open to the University's all employees, guests and students. During special events, such as doctoral dissertations and open lectures, the public have admittance to parts of the building.

The entrances to the Geo-Science Building are normally open during the Academic Year (and two weeks before the Autumn Semester starts and two weeks after the end of the Spring Semester).

The building is usually closed on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays and from mid-June to mid-August and between Christmas and New Year. Note that only the entrances on the building's south side are open to visitors. 

Department offices and so on have special opening hours.

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Opening hours at Stockholm University