The Army Museum (Armémuseum) will close and leave its premises on Riddargatan in Stockholm during 2027. The state agency that runs it announced the decision on 5 October. Where the museum will move has not yet been decided.
The museum's lease with the National Property Board of Sweden (Statens fastighetsverk) ends at the turn of the year. The proposed new lease included a 60 per cent rent increase, according to the agency, Statens museer för maritim-, transport- och försvarshistoria (SMMTF).
SMMTF says the rent was not the main reason for the move.
— It was a triggering, but not decisive, factor. What is decisive is that we want more suitable premises, says Director-General Lars Amréus.
He says the buildings are old, need a lot of maintenance and were never built as a museum. Larger objects cannot be brought in or put on display.
— The premises put a ceiling on what kind of museum Armémuseum can become, says Amréus.
SMMTF says it wants a new location with room to expand. The agency runs seven state museums, including the Vasa Museum and Marinmuseum in Karlskrona.