Lindqvist came from a lower-middle-class family; his father was a
Feldwebel in the military and his mother ran a bakery. He studied architecture at the Polytechnical Institute (today
Aalto University) under
Gustaf Nyström and
Frans Anatolius Sjöström between 1884 and 1888. During his time studying, he started to work with the architect Constantin Kiseleff. Lindqvist's breakthrough as an architect came in 1890, when a large department store in central Helsinki was built to his designs (
Merkurius department store). Around this time he formed a partnership with architect Elia Heikel, who had taken over Kiseleff's firm. He was also tied to the architect firm
Grahn, Hedman & Wasastjerna for some time. He also worked closely with Friedrich Lüsch, who had immigrated to Finland from Germany. In the 1890s, when building activity in Helsinki dropped due to an economic downturn, Lindqvist journeyed to Italy, Austria, Hungary and Germany, lived for a year in
Nizhny Novgorod and worked for some time in
Berlin. He returned to Finland and worked in
Hanko between 1896 and 1898. Thereafter he returned to Helsinki. He subsequently contributed many buildings in Helsinki, not least department stores and other commercial properties. He also had several commissions from Helsinki Municipality. In addition, he designed industrial buildings and had some commissions from outside Helsinki, e.g. the town hall of
Mikkeli. Lindqvist married Swedish-born singer Emmy Keen in 1901. The couple had four children and from 1908 they lived in
Pitäjänmäki. ==Architecture==