While Stockholm’s charm often comes from its old streets and waterfront views, the city also has striking towers and modern skyscrapers. Some are loved, others debated, but all of them leave an impression on the skyline.
These are some of the tallest buildings you’ll see across Stockholm.
Kaknäs Tower
Kaknäs Tower (Kaknästornet) is Stockholm’s tallest structure at 155 m (509 ft), or 170 m (560 ft) including its antenna. For decades it was open to the public, with an observation deck and a skybar restaurant offering sweeping views over central Stockholm, including Djurgården and beyond.
The tower has been closed to visitors since December 2018 due to cost, safety, and security concerns related to its role in Sweden’s communications infrastructure. Today it serves exclusively as a hub for TV, radio, and satellite transmissions.
Although you can no longer go inside, the tower is easy to spot from many parts of the city. It stands near Gärdet on Djurgården and is visible from landmarks like the Museum of Technology. You’ll also spot it from Slussen, if you look northeast across the water from the Golden Bridge. You’ll see it rising to the left of Gröna Lund amusement park.
Address: Mörka kroken
Getting there: From T-Centralen, take the blue line (T11) toward Kungsträdgården, then change to bus 69 toward Blockhusudden. Get off at Kaknästornet stop (about 25 minutes total). The tower is a short walk from the bus stop.
Northern Towers
The Northern Towers (Norra tornen) are twin residential skyscrapers that have become one of Stockholm’s most talked-about landmarks. The eastern tower, called Innovationen, was completed in 2018 with 36 floors and a height of 125 meters (410 feet). The western tower, Helix, followed in 2020, rising 110 meters (361 feet) with 33 floors. Together they hold around 300 apartments, and Innovationen is the tallest residential building in the city.
What makes the towers so striking is their design. With stacked concrete blocks jutting out at different angles, they look almost like giant cardboard boxes piled on top of each other. The architecture, created by the Dutch firm OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture), has divided opinion from the start. Some see them as bold and original, while others consider them an eyesore breaking up Stockholm’s skyline.
The debate even earned the towers a nomination for Sweden’s satirical “Kaspar Kalkon” award for the country’s ugliest building. At the same time, they received international praise and won the International Highrise Award in 2020, showing just how polarizing the design is.
The towers stand in Hagastaden, a newly developed district linking Stockholm with its neighboring suburb Solna. You can spot them from far across the city, including from southern viewpoints such as Skinnarviksberget and Monteliusvägen, where their unusual profile is easy to pick out on the horizon.
Address: Torsplan 12
Getting there: From T-Centralen, take the green line toward Hässelby Strand or Vällingby for 3 stops to Odenplan (about 7 minutes), then it’s a 9-minute walk north to the towers.
Scandic Victoria Tower
Scandic Victoria Tower is a striking skyscraper hotel in Kista, an area north of central Stockholm known as the city’s tech hub and home to companies like Ericsson. The tower opened in 2011 and is named after Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.
At 117 meters (384 feet), it is the tallest hotel in Scandinavia. Its glass façade, covered in triangular mirror panels, reflects the sky and gives the building a distinctive, futuristic look.
The hotel’s highlight is its Skybar on the 34th floor, where guests and visitors can enjoy panoramic views stretching across Stockholm. Staying here puts you close to Kista’s shopping center and metro station, making it easy to reach the city center in about 20 minutes.
Address: Arne Beurlings Torg 3
Getting there: From T-Centralen, change to the Stockholm City commuter train station (3 minute walk), then take commuter train 41 toward Märsta for 4 stops to Helenelund (about 14 minutes), then it’s a 6-minute walk (450m) to the tower (about 23 minutes total).
Stockholm City Hall
Stockholm City Hall (Stadshuset) is one of the city’s most famous landmarks. Its red brick walls and 106-meter (348 ft) tower dominate the waterfront of Kungsholmen, and from the tower you can enjoy a 360-degree view over the city. The building was inaugurated on Midsummer’s Eve, June 23, 1923, after twelve years of construction. Architect Ragnar Östberg designed it as a monumental home for the city’s government and celebrations.
The choice of location was bold at the time. When Stockholm outgrew its old center around Gustav Adolfs torg and Gamla Stan, the city turned to Kungsholmen, then seen as an industrial edge of town. The plot was known as Eldkvarnstomten, named after a large steam mill that once stood here. That mill famously burned down in a massive fire in 1878. Östberg, who witnessed the fire as a young man, later described the new City Hall as a “Phoenix rising from the flames,” a symbol of rebirth on the very site of the disaster.
Construction began in 1911, and Östberg’s design, called Mälardrott (“Queen of Lake Mälaren”), created a building that is both grand and festive, with arcades, courtyards, and halls that open toward the water. Today, City Hall is not only the seat of Stockholm’s municipal council but also a place of ceremony, best known worldwide as the venue for the Nobel Banquet each December.
Address: Hantverkargatan 1
Getting there: From T-Centralen exit towards the street Vasagatan. From there it’s a 10 minute walk towards the waterfront.
Sthlm 01
Sthlm 01 is one of Stockholm’s newest skyscrapers, completed in 2020. Rising 102 meters (336 ft) with 27 floors, it stands just south of Södermalm in the Hammarby Sjöstad area. Its trident-shaped design makes the tower stand out in the city skyline, and the colorful glass façade shifts in appearance depending on the light.
The building is mainly used for offices, but at the top you’ll find a skybar and restaurant with sweeping views across the city. It’s a modern contrast to Stockholm’s historic landmarks, giving visitors a different perspective of the capital.
Even from a distance, Sthlm 01 stands out clearly from many city viewpoints, especially around Södermalm and the nearby Hammarby Sjöstad waterfront. The name itself is a playful nod to Stockholm, as “Sthlm” is a common local abbreviation.
Address: Hammarbybacken 27
Getting there: From Slussen, take the green metro line towards Hagsätra, Farsta Strand or Skarpnäck for 3 stops to Gullmarsplan (about 5 minutes). Then walk east from Gullmarplan towards the Hammarby sjöstad area, about 6 minutes.
Avicii Arena
The Avicii Arena, better known to most Stockholmers as Globen (“the Globe”), is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks. The massive white dome, often compared to a giant golf ball, opened in 1989 and quickly became a symbol of modern Stockholm. Until 2023 it held the record as the world’s largest spherical building, a title now taken by the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Inside, the arena hosts everything from ice hockey and other sporting events to major concerts and shows. It has long been the stage for Melodifestivalen, Sweden’s hugely popular qualifier for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Visitors don’t need a ticket to a game or concert to experience the Globe. A unique attraction called SkyView lets you ride glass gondolas that travel up the curved outside of the dome. From the top, 130 meters (425 feet) above sea level, you get a panoramic view of Stockholm.
Address: Arenatorget
Getting there: From Slussen, take the green metro line toward /Hagsätra for 4 stops to Globen (about 7 minutes). From the Globen metro station take a 4 minute walk. You will see the Globe building from the station.
