Tjärven
Encyclopedia
Tjärven is the name of a small island and light station surrounded by deep water and located in the sea of Åland, north of the Söderarm
archipelago of the coast of Sweden
. The lighthouse functions as the entrance to the shipping route
for the ports of Kapellskär
, Norrtälje
and Stockholm
. A day beacon existed on the island since the 19th century. The lighthouse construction began in 1902, and was finished in 1903. The original architecture included acrenelated gallery and an old-style lantern room. The building included bed rooms and a kitchen area for the lighthouse keepers. The light ran on kerosene
. In 1952, the building was renovated and was resigned in a functionalistic
style with eternit
bricks. The lantern was also changed and a 1000 watt electric light replaced the kerosene lamp. The Swedish Maritime Administration
owns and runs the lighthouse. It renovated the building in 2008 and installed solar power. Initially, there was a decision to remove the lantern room and replace it with a mast, but this proved to hard to accomplish. That decision was also protested by lighthouse enthusiasts. So the new light was finally installed in the old lantern.
SMA has confirmed that many Russian mines dating from the first world war may still lie on the bottom of the sea east of the light station, making anchoring or diving dangerous in the area. The island can be visited by boat travelers under acceptable weather circumstances, but it is difficult to dock this remote and slippery island. And the areas surrounding it is heavily trafficked by the cruise ships plying between Sweden and Finland.
Söderarm
Söderarm is the name of a Swedish lighthouse station and its surrounding small archipelago in the west part of the sea of Åland. The light station is located on the island of Thorskär. This area, together with the tiny island of Tjärven north of Söderarm, marks the entrance for the shipping route...
archipelago of the coast of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The lighthouse functions as the entrance to the shipping route
Shipping route
A shipping route is a trade route used by merchant ships.Early routes usually were coastal in nature as navigators had to rely on the coastal landmarks...
for the ports of Kapellskär
Kapellskär
Kapellskär is a port about north of Stockholm, in Sweden. It is located by the Baltic Sea, in Norrtälje Municipality, Stockholm County and is served by frequent passenger ferry services to Mariehamn, Åland, Finland, operated by Viking Line, with 3 services per day and direction during peak season...
, Norrtälje
Norrtälje
Norrtälje is a locality and the seat of Norrtälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 17,275 inhabitants in 2010.- History :Norrtälje traces its history to 1219, when the location was first mentioned as Tälje. After some time, the name officially became Norrtälje, to separate it from the...
and Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. A day beacon existed on the island since the 19th century. The lighthouse construction began in 1902, and was finished in 1903. The original architecture included acrenelated gallery and an old-style lantern room. The building included bed rooms and a kitchen area for the lighthouse keepers. The light ran on kerosene
Kerosene
Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...
. In 1952, the building was renovated and was resigned in a functionalistic
Functionalism (architecture)
Functionalism, in architecture, is the principle that architects should design a building based on the purpose of that building. This statement is less self-evident than it first appears, and is a matter of confusion and controversy within the profession, particularly in regard to modern...
style with eternit
Eternit
Eternit is the registered trademark for fibre cement. This has caused fibre cement to be known under the "Eternit" brand. Though, this is not to be confused, "Eternit" is only a trademark for fibre cement....
bricks. The lantern was also changed and a 1000 watt electric light replaced the kerosene lamp. The Swedish Maritime Administration
Swedish Maritime Administration
The Swedish Maritime Administration is the Swedish government agency which provides services to the transport sector by keeping the sea lanes open and safe...
owns and runs the lighthouse. It renovated the building in 2008 and installed solar power. Initially, there was a decision to remove the lantern room and replace it with a mast, but this proved to hard to accomplish. That decision was also protested by lighthouse enthusiasts. So the new light was finally installed in the old lantern.
SMA has confirmed that many Russian mines dating from the first world war may still lie on the bottom of the sea east of the light station, making anchoring or diving dangerous in the area. The island can be visited by boat travelers under acceptable weather circumstances, but it is difficult to dock this remote and slippery island. And the areas surrounding it is heavily trafficked by the cruise ships plying between Sweden and Finland.