The Riddarholmen Church's spire will be restored

In autumn 2025, a roughly threeyear renovation of the Riddarholmen Church's 42 m cast-iron spire will begin. A 125 ton, 2000 pieces cast-iron puzzle.

A complicated work begins for the National Property Board (SFV) this autumn, when the 125 ton, 42 m spire is to be hoisted down piece by piece – a cast-iron puzzle of 2,000 pieces.

There are two reasons for the restoration. Firstly, the spire has developed cracks in itsconstruction, and secondly it needs to be decontaminated from environmental toxins.

Riddarholmen Church is Stockholm’s oldest preserved building. The latticework cast-iron spire has only one counterpart in Europe – the cathedral in the French town of Rouen. Riddarholmen Church will be open as usual during the season May to September.

Background to the present day spire

The original spire of Riddarholmen Church was a wooden, copper-clad construction and was destroyed by fire in 1835. To replace it, in 1838-40 a neo-Gothic spire was constructed in cast iron, designed by the sculptor Erik Gustaf Göthe. At the time, it was an unusual choice to construct a cast-iron spire. Today the spire’s appearance is a significant part of the Stockholm skyline.

The need for renovation

At the end of the 1960s, thorough restoration of the spire, façades and roofs was carried out over several years. The entire spire was disassembled in 1968–1970 and most of its components were remanufactured, surface-treated and reassembled. During the restoration, PCBs were used in the surface treatment, which over the years have penetrated the joints. SFV has also found asbestos in the spire.

These environmental toxins in combination with crack formation mean that we are now facing a new restoration. The work means that all 2,000 cast-iron parts of the spire are to be taken down, taken apart, decontaminated, renovated and reassembled. The parts that are undamaged and free from cracks will be renovated. Others may need to be recast.

Complicated work ahead

In addition to the challenges posed by the spire’s 42 m height and 125 ton weight, SFV will also take care of and prevent tany further leakage of environmental toxins. SFV's task is to ensure that the unique historical values of the church brick tower and the spire are safeguarded in a long-term, sustainable way.

The goal is for the newly restored spire to stand for more than 100 years with continual maintenance – for generations to come.

Top image: The Riddarholmen Church's cast-iron spire from the inside, photo by Erik Lefvander