Skrapan

Skrapan — "The Scraper" — is the only skyscraper in Västerås and has been a local fixture since 1958. Standing sixteen storeys in the city centre, it was built as a modernist statement at a time when Sweden was reinventing its cities with Functionalist architecture. Today it houses offices and apartments.

Worth noting for two reasons: it is the best orientation point when navigating the city centre, and the upper floors offer the best panoramic view of Västerås and Lake Mälaren. The building is not generally open to the public for views, but the café in the lower floors sometimes has limited access on specific days.

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Skrapan was built in 1958 and at 16 storeys was tall enough to justify the name — in a city of low-rise brick buildings, it looked like it was scraping the sky. It is not particularly beautiful, but it has become an affectionate local landmark, and the view from the upper floors is the best in the city.

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