Vasa was ordered by King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden in 1625–1626. It took about two years to build the ship at Skeppsgården, the place that is now called Blasieholmen, in Stockholm.
The master shipbuilder was from Holland and his name was Henrik Hybertsson. He had lived in Stockholm for several years and knew both Dutch and Swedish, which was an advantage, as both Dutch and Swedish shipbuilders worked at the shipyard.
The number of workers at the shipyard that build the ship was about 300 people. They did everything from sawing up oak logs, carving sculptures, forging nails, etc. Several different professional roles were represented at the shipyard.