John Settergren

15.12.1868, Lidköping - 07.08.1917, Jusowska (myöh. Donetsk), Venäjä

Architect from the Royal Academy of Arts, Stockholm, Sweden

The Swedish Nils Johan Settergren first worked in Sweden in the office of Professor Isak Gustaf Clason. In 1896 he moved to Finland to work for the office Grahn, Hedman & Wasastjerna, where he stayed until 1903.

Employed with Grahn, Hedman & Wasastjerna Settergren was commissioned to design the facades of the Argos building in Helsinki. Built at Mannerheimintie street in 1897, it is a nearly perfect copy of the Bunsow building I. G. Clason designed for Stockholm in 1889. In 1899 Settergren designed facades for the Wasa Banken in Helsinki.

#Settergren founded an office of his own in Helsinki in 1903, also working short periods in collaboration with Gustaf Estlander and Mauritz Gripenberg. He designed several apartment buildings for Helsinki.

In 1916 Settergren was invited to lead the design of a large industrial community in Yusovka, Russia. He died of cholera in 1917 before his work was finished.

The Settergren collection is a small one. Besides designs made for Sweden it includes drawings of apartment blocks designed for Helsinki. His most imposing building in Finland is the Forsby “castle” near Porvoo from 1908. The collection includes detail drawings for this baroque-inflected building.