Scandinavia House – The Nordic Center in America is the American-Scandinavian Foundation's cultural center at 58 Park Avenue (between East 37th Street and East 38th Street), in Murray Hill, Manhattan, New York City. It is dedicated to preserving the history of the Scandinavian and Nordic countries in the United States through exhibits and programming. This cultural center hosts exhibitions of fine art, design as well as performing arts pieces from Nordic countries. The center also introduces the local population and guests with Scandinavian languages and customs by organizing courses. The Nordic Center was designed by architect James Stewart Polshek and opened to the public in 2000 with a visit from King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden and their eldest daughter, Princess Victoria, Princess Martha Louise of Norway, and Princess Benedikte of Denmark. History Scandinavia House, located on 58 Park Avenue, Manhattan, was opened in 2000 by the American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) as a center for Nordic culture in the United States. The building was the first permanent location of ASF after a decade of moving between several addresses. Construction of the new building cost around $13 million. According to the ASF website, more than 1.5 million people have visited since then. The previous building in this location was a 1909 French neoclassical building finished with limestone. It was owned by Grace Rainey Rogers until her death in 1943. Her house was built by real estate developer Horace Trumbauer from Philadelphia. His chief designer was the first African American architect, Julian Francis Abele. During the last decades of the 20th century, the house served as the United Nations mission of the German Democratic Republic. ASF bought it together with the plot of land for $5 million in 1996. Polshek Partnership Architects was contracted to design the new and modern Scandinavia House According to the New York Times, the president of the ASF, Edward P. Gallagher, stated that it was a "fully public building". It offers a wide range of programs that illuminate the culture and vitality of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Scandinavia House offerings include diverse exhibitions and film series, as well as concerts and other performances, readings, lectures, symposia, language courses, and children's activities. Building The building is designed in the International Style characteristic of the late 1990s to the early 2000s. It was designed by Polshek Partnership Architects (now Ennead Architects). It has six floors