History

A Vision Takes Shape

The first thoughts of a concert hall in Uppsala were raised as early as the 1910s. In 1960, Leif
Carlsson presented a motion to the city council, and a few years later, in 1965, an investigation was initiated. In 1973, it proposed a “House of Music” at Vaksala Square, but the plans never materialized.

New Initiatives

In 1988, the association Friends of the House of Music was formed. Two years later, the House of Music in Uppsala AB was founded, which organized an architectural competition for a building in the Gerd quarter. The proposal was appreciated but voted down by the city council in 1993.

The Path towards a Decision

In 1998, the question was raised again, this time about converting Nanna School into a concert and congress hall. When no bids met the municipality’s requirements, the project was halted.

In 2002, the process gained new momentum. An international architectural competition was announced for a new concert and congress center at Vaksala Square. Out of 134 entries, the proposal from Henning Larsen Tegnestue in Copenhagen won.

From Decision to Groundbreaking

On April 14, 2004, the city council decided to build the house with 49 votes against 32.
A year later, on April 5, 2005, the first groundbreaking took place at the site where the building would emerge.

A New Name, a New Chapter

In 2006, the company received its current name: Uppsala Concert & Congress AB, a symbol for the two operational areas, concert and congress.

Inauguration and Future

On September 1, 2007, Uppsala Concert & Congress was inaugurated. The festivities lasted for three days, a solemn conclusion to a long journey and the beginning of a new era in Uppsala’s cultural life.

A House for Music, Meetings, and People

Since its inauguration, UKK has developed into an obvious meeting place in the city for concerts, conferences, and events of all forms. A house for Uppsala’s people, ideas, and experiences.