Millesgården
The artist couple Carl and Olga Milles bought a plot of land in 1906 on Herserudsklippan high above Värtan on Lidingö. Their wish was to build a home with accompanying artist studios. The house was designed by architect Carl M. Bengtsson and built in 1908. Over the next half century, Millesgården was expanded and developed in collaboration with Carl Milles' half-brother, architect Evert Milles.
Between 1911 and 1913, the first extension was built, an open-air studio in the form of a loggia, designed to improve Carl's working environment. The sculptor had contracted severe stone lung caused by inhaling dust while carving stone.
As Carl Mille's income from sculpture commissions increased during the 1920s, adjacent land was acquired on the southern slope of the cliff. With the addition of the middle terrace, the sculpture garden became larger and another sculpture workshop, Lilla Ateljén, was built.
During the Milles couple's time in the United States from 1931-50, the pace of construction at Millesgården slowed down. However, Evert Milles drew up new floor plans in anticipation of upcoming expansion projects.
In 1936, Millesgården was converted into a foundation and given as a gift to the Swedish people.
Before the Milles couple returned to Millesgården in 1950, construction began on the large Lower Terrace with monumental replicas of free-standing sculptures and fountain groups from the USA and Sweden. The lower terrace, with the couple's new residence Anne's House, designed by Evert Milles, was largely complete by the time of Carl Milles' death on 19 September 1955.