The New Crematorium

Svenska

The New Crematorium is situated in a secluded area of the forest. It houses advanced technical equipment.

Photo: Ioana Marinescu.

This brick-clad structure was inaugurated in 2014. It is designed to accommodate relatives who wish to be present during the cremation process.

Purified exhaust gases from the cremation ovens are channeled underground to the old chimneys of the Woodland Crematorium for release.

The old crematorium became obsolete

As the original 1940 crematorium at Skogskyrkogården became outdated and impractical, the city decided to construct a new facility. In 2009, a competition was held, and the winning proposal, titled “A Stone in the Forest”, was designed by architects Johan Celsing and Müller Illien Landschaftarchitekten.

Photo: Ioana Marinescu.

Explore the crematorium online

For safety reasons, public access to the crematorium is restricted. However, you can explore its interior through panoramic photography on Google Street View.

Cremation

Cremation means to burn the deceased. It is done in special furnaces and takes about two hours. The ashes can then be placed in an urn or a nice bag. The ashes can be buried in a grave, in an ash grave site, or on the ground in a memorial grove.

Since the 1880s, cremation has been allowed in Sweden. It was not very common at first. Many thought it was strange and unpleasant. During the 1900s, it became more common. Today, approximately 80 per cent of the deceased are cremated in Sweden. It is more common in cities than in rural areas.

Updated