Miriam Bäckström   

Perfect Storm

For the city hall in Lund, Sweden, Miriam Bäckström designed an enormous tapestry measuring 30 metres wide and 3 metres high. The work reflects the spirit of the building’s architect, Klas Anshelm, who wanted to create a dynamic meeting place that connects inside and outside.

The design is tailor-made for an undulating wall on the ground floor, which can be seen through the windows from outside. Up close, the numerous details in the fabric are visible, while from a distance the flowing movement seems to rush by like a whirlwind. The scale of the tapestry means that viewers must also move in order to see the work in its entirety. The fabric was woven in the TextielLab on the 350-cm-wide loom using Trevira CS, a flame-retardant yarn from a spinning mill in Como, Italy. To achieve the desired effect, 12 colour schemes were used in the weft and two in the warp.

Miriam Bäckström (Swedish, born 1967). Origin, 2024. Jacquard tapestry, Trevira CA on Trevira CS warp. 280 x 3200 cm). Lund City Hall. © Miriam Bäckström. Afbeelding door Studio Miriam Bäckström

Miriam Bäckström (Swedish, born 1967). Perfect Storm, 2024. Jacquard tapestry, Trevira CS on Trevira CS warp. 292 × 3000 cm. Lund City Hall, Lund, Sweden. © Miriam Bäckström

Photos by Daniel Zachrisson