Södra Bankohuset

Södra Bankohuset (Swedish: "The Southern Bank Building"), also known as Gamla Riksbanken ("The Old National Bank"). is a building in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. It was erected in stages from 1675 to 1735 as the seat of the Bank of Sweden which remained in that location (complemented from 1772 with the Norra Bankohuset immediately to the north) until moving in 1906 to a new head office by the Parliament building complex.

Södra Bankohuset is the world’s oldest surviving purpose-built central bank office, separately from the Riksbank being the world’s oldest central bank in continuous operation. It is facing the square Järntorget on its west side and Skeppsbron on its east, while two alleys passes north and south of it, Norra Bankogränd and Södra Bankogränd. Since December 2018, it has housed Embark Studios, a Stockholm-based games studio.

The western quarter of the building including the façade, built in 1675-1682, was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder (1615–1684); the western court and its two wings were built in 1694-1712 under the son of the latter, Nicodemus Tessin the Younger (1654–1728); while the eastern half and façade were designed by Carl Hårleman (1700–1753) and built during the period 1733-1737.

Coherently designed as elongated block-size palace, Södra Bankohuset unites the prestigious line-up along Skeppsbron with the narrow urban conglomeration of the old town. The plain architraves and original Renaissance design of the western façade is repeated around the building, and is in the eastern façade supplemented with pediments, channelled rustication up to the mezzanine, and a rocaille over the entrance pouring out bank notes and coins. The western portal is a quotation of Vignola's portal at Villa Farnese in Caprarola.