Ivar Callmander1880–1951
Ivar Callmander was a Swedish architect whose work bridged National Romanticism, Arts and Crafts, and early twentieth century functionalism. Born in Gothenburg, he studied at Chalmers University of Technology from 1900 to 1903 and continued his architectural training at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. During this period he worked under the influential architect Lars Israel Wahlman, who introduced him to the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement and strongly shaped his early expression.
By 1907, Callmander established his own practice and soon became architect for Stockholms Allmänna Telefon AB, a role that secured him major commissions both in Sweden and abroad. His work for the company included projects in Moscow and Warsaw, as well as the LM Ericsson cable works in Älvsjö and the Södra Kungstornet on Stockholm’s Kungsgatan. He also designed notable public buildings such as the former Court of Appeal in Malmö, considered one of his most significant architectural achievements.
Callmander was active in a wide range of creative fields. Beyond architecture, he produced furniture designs, decorative murals, books, articles, poetry and even radio plays, demonstrating a breadth of artistic interests rarely seen among his contemporaries.
His residential architecture in Storängen, designed between 1906 and 1908, reflects a distinctly National Romantic character. These villas, including his own home on Prästgårdsvägen 8, are marked by heavy, sheltering roofs, robust facades and small leaded-glass windows. He also created the so-called Telephone Villa on Lidingö, completed in 1911, a National Romantic building with German and English Arts and Crafts influences. Today it is protected as a culturally significant structure.
Callmander remained an active and influential figure in Swedish architecture until his death in Solna in 1951. His work represents a unique blend of craftsmanship, artistic sensibility and architectural innovation, contributing significantly to the rich architectural heritage of early twentieth century Sweden.
