Copenhagen - American Institute of Architects

Danish Modern

Danish Modern
August 31–September 4, 2008
Copenhagen, Denmark
Then and now
A conference presented by
The American Institute of
Architects Committee
on Design and Historic
Resources Committee

Overview
Scandinavian design calls to mind the iconic images of Poul Henningsen’s
Artichoke ceiling lamp for Louis Poulsen or Arne Jacobsen’s expansive
lobby of the SAS Royal Hotel with its wedge of Swan chairs. Any architect
who has ever had a client ask for “clean lines” can claim a personal connection
to Danish Modern design. Join your architectural colleagues and
learn about the influence and impact of Danish design from the mid-20th
century to the dramatic architecture of today. Seminar topics include
globalization, sustainability, preservation of Modernism, urban new town
growth, and new materials.
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Table of Contents
COD/HRC Mission and Chair Messages 4
Schedule of Events 7
Sponsors 15
Site Descriptions 16
Sketch Pages 69
COD in 2009 74
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Committee on Design Mission
The Committee on Design was founded to promote design excellence
among members of the AIA, the broader design community, and the
public at large, both nationally and internationally. In realizing this mission,
the committee promotes a range of activities intended to encourage a
dialogue on the art of building.
Historic Resources Committee Mission
The mission of the AIA Historic Resources Committee (HRC) is to identify,
understand, and help preserve our architectural heritage in the United
States and throughout the world, as well as to promote the role of the
historic preservation architect in the preservation of historic buildings
both within the profession and in the larger society.
Message From Carol Bentel, FAIA
2008 National Chair, AIA Committee on Design
2008 is the 40th anniversary of the AIA
Committee on Design. We made a conscious
effort this year to focus on DESIGN by looking
outside of our own discipline of architecture. We
traveled to Detroit, Michigan in April to learn from
automotive design in particular. We learned that
although parallels exist, the two disciplines are
not at all the same. Exterior surfaces and
product appeal seemed separate from the internal workings of any
vehicle. In comparison, our interest in creating sustainable architecture
may be forcing us to consider the inner mechanics of a building in a more
integrated way than we witnessed in the automotive industry. We are
traveling to Copenhagen to continue our quest for educating ourselves
from a different point of view and to learn from other “parallel” disciplines.
Denmark has a rich history in product and furniture design, as well as
a long history of sustainable products. I challenge all of us to gather
alternate forms of knowledge from our conference Denmark and from the
Danish designers we will meet with the goal of furthering our mission to
achieve design excellence in our own architectural work.
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Message From Sharon C. Park, FAIA
2008 Chair, AIA Historic Resources Committee
The mission of the Historic Resources
Committee (HRC), the oldest standing committee
of the AIA, is to identify, understand, and
preserve architectural heritage, both nationally
and internationally. This opportunity to study
the early as well as contemporary architecture
of Denmark will help American architects
better understand the strong roots of our own
Mid-Century Modern architecture that is now
on the threshold of listing in the National Register of Historic Places. The
incredible impact of the early and mid-century modernist, who thrived
in Denmark, is bringing a new awareness and appreciating of a body of
architecture that in many ways is threatened with insensitive renovation
and even demolition. The challenges are great; how to integrate historic
buildings into new urban design, how to preserve fragile materials, how to
improve energy efficiency without destroying the curtain or thin wall
construction of the building, and how to foster sustainable practices.
All of these issues, and more, will be touched upon during four and
half exciting days in Denmark. There is also an infusion of integrated
design, so well done by the Danes, to design even the smallest element
of a building, complex or community, so the rich design heritage will be
inspiring to all the participants. So, welcome from the Historic Resources
Committee as we share our knowledge with and learn from our American
colleagues of the Committee on Design as well as our host architects
through the Danish Architecture Center.
Welcome from T. Gunny Harboe, AIA
Conference Co-Chair
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to
Copenhagen, a city I consider my second home.
Over the next few days you will discover a city
that is not only one of the most livable in the
world, but one that exudes good design at every
level. I have often dreamed of taking a number of
my architect friends on a multi-day tour of one of
my favorite places on earth, and now that time
has come. There are so many wonderful places
to see the hard part was choosing what would have to wait for your next
trip. The focus will be on “Danish Modern: Then and Now”, thus the name
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of the conference. By studying the great works of Denmark’s mid-century
modern architecture and comparing them to the extraordinary work
recently completed, you will gain a rich understanding of a true design
culture that is synonymous with all things Danish. Through the great generosity
and collaboration of the Danish Ministry of Culture and the Danish
Architecture Center, you will be treated to an experience that would be
difficult to duplicate on your own. From centuries old picturesque palaces
to the most cutting edge buildings being designed today you will witness
the continuum of Danish design in all its facets. You will also have
an opportunity to get to know some of your Danish counterparts while
breaking bread and sharing knowledge about architecture. I hope you
enjoy it.
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Schedule of Events
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Introduction to Copenhagen
For a thousand years water has defined Copenhagen, which derives its
name from “merchant’s harbor.” What better way to be introduced to
this wonderful city than by boat? We will start at the Danish Architecture
Center (DAC), which is located in an old warehouse across the water
from the Admiral Hotel. After viewing the exhibition and introductory
remarks, we will be embark on a boat tour that will be led by Kent
Martinussen, CEO of the Danish Architecture Center, our partner in
developing the Copenhagen conference. Kent will show us the heart of
the old city as well as the exciting new architecture being created in
previously underutilized industrial zones. This orientation will help you
keep your bearings for the rest of your stay.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Danish Modernism
After an introductory lecture in the 17th Century Charlottenborg Palace,
we will divide up into groups and take an in-depth walking tour of
wonderful Copenhagen, highlighting several centuries of architecture
and design from the seventeenth century of Christian IV to the twentieth
century of Arne Jacobsen. We will conclude the evening getting to know
our Danish architect hosts by dining in small groups in their offices.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Theme: Historical Overview of the City and Its Development
(Guides: Anette Sorenson, Ingelise I. Andersson, Dorte
Augustenborg)
We will again start at Charlottenborg with an introductory lecture before
embarking on a bus tour to see the highlights of Danish Modernism in
the Copenhagen area, which will include works by Arne Jacobsen, Jørn
Utzon and others. We will also make a special stop at the world famous
art museum, Louisiana, by Wohlert & Bo, as well as the World Heritage
site, Kronborg Castle. The evening will end with a candlelit dinner hosted
by the famous furniture maker Fritz Hansen at its state of the art facility.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Theme: Current Danish Developments (Guides: Christian Hanak,
Rune Christiansen, Dorte Augustenborg)
We will explore the exciting new work being done by the new generation
of Danish architects. A few minutes’ ride on the brand new Metro
will deliver us to Ørestad, a whole new section of the city being built at
the edge of the nineteenth-century city. We will also visit the architecture
school of the Royal Academy and get a behind the scenes tour of the
new Royal Opera House by Henning Larsen, HFAIA. The evening will
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conclude with a tour and dinner at d Royal Danish Playhouse, just
completed in February 2008, by Lundgaard & Tranberg.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Theme: Dialogue with Danish Peers
We will begin the day exploring current issues of architecture in small
workshops with our Danish architect colleagues. In groups of fifteen to
twenty, we will delve deep into some of the common issues facing architects
in the U.S. and Denmark today. This will be a unique opportunity to
share experiences in an international setting. The discussions of the morning
will continue over a lunch hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the afternoon, participants may choose to visit the Danish Design
center, or explore Denmark’s ancient roots by visiting the reconstructed
Iron Age village of Lejre, the medieval Roskilde Cathedral (a world Heritage
site) and the Viking Ship Museum. (please note: you must choose a
preference for the workshop. Descriptions are available as part of the
checklist for the workshops. You must also select your preference for the
afternoon activities of either the Viking Tour, or the Danish Design Center.)
KEY
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Sunday the 31st August
Guide: Kent Martinussen
15.00–16.00 Groups 1–4
Visit DAC and introduction to the exhibition ‘Living
conditions’
16.30–18.00 Groups 1–4
Boat trip in Copenhagen harbour
Monday the 1st September—Citywalks
Guides: Pia Rost Rasmussen, Dorte Augustenborg, Dorte Friis, Andreas
Spinner Nielsen
08.15 Groups 1–4
Depart Admiral Hotel walk to Charlottenborg
(10 min. walk)
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08.30–9.30 Groups 1–4
Lecture at Charlottenborg/Jens Kvorning
09.35 Groups 1–4
Departure Charlottenborg
09.45 Groups 1–2
Bredgade/Amalienborg
Group 3
Li.Strandstræde/Amalienborg
Group 4
St.Strandstræde/Amalienborg
10.15 Groups 1–4
Esplanaden/Kastellet, (seen from across the street)
10.30 Groups 1–3
Nyboder/Dronningegården
Groups 2–4
The King’s Garden and Rosenborg Castle
11.00 Group 1
The King’s Garden and Rosenborg Castle
Landemærket/Gråbrødre Torv
Group 2
Nyboder/Dronningegården
Adelgade/Klareboderne/Gråbrødre Torv
Group 3
The King’s Garden and Rosenborg Castle
Landemærket
Group 4
Nyboder/Dronningegården
Adelgade/Møntergade/Klareboderne
11.15 Groups 1–2
Rundetårn
Groups 3&4
Gråbrødre Torv
11.30 Groups 1–2
Louis Poulsen
Gl. Strand Lunch
Groups 3–4
Rundetårn
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12.30 Groups 3–4
Thorvaldsen Museum Christiansborg, Slotskirken,
The Holmens Church, The Danish National Bank,
Børsen
13.30 Groups 1–2
Thorvaldsen Museum Christiansborg, Slotskirken,
(Church) The Holmens Church, The Danish National
Bank, Børsen
Groups 3–4
Louis Poulsen
Gl. Strand Lunch
14.30 Groups 1–2
Danish Jewish Museum, ”The Black Diamond”
14.45 Groups 1–2
Frederiks Holms Kanal, Marmorbroen,
Rådhusstræde, Strøget, Hellingåndskirken
Groups 3–4
Danish Jewish Museum, ”The Black Diamond”
15.00 Groups 1–2
Vor Frue Church, Stellings House, Gl. Torv, Nytorv
Groups 3–4
Frederiksholms Kanal, Marmorbroen Rådhusstræde
15.15 Groups 3–4
Vor Frue Church, Stellings House, Gl. Torv, Nytorv
16.00 Groups 1–4
Talk at The Copenhagen Town Hall
17.00–18.30 Groups 1–4
Palace Hotel, The Central Station, SAS Royal Hotel
18.30–19.00 Groups 1–4
Take taxis to Architect’s offices
19.00–21.00 Groups 1–4
Dinner Architect offices
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Tuesday September 2, 2008
Guides: Anette Sørensen, Ingelise I. Andersson, Dorte Augustenborg
08.15 Groups 1–3
Depart Admiral Hotel walk to Charlottenborg
(10 min. walk)
08.30–09.30 Groups 1–3
Lecture at Charlottenborg/ Christoffer Harlang
09.30 Group 1
Departure Bus 1
Group 2
Departure Bus 2
Group 3
Departure Bus 3
10.00 Group 3
DR-The old Radiohouse, Rosenørns Allé
10.00 Group 1–2
Grundtvigs Church
10.45 Group 1
Søndergaardsparken
Group 2
Bagsværd Church
Group 3
Grundtvigs Church
11.15 Group 1
Bagsværd Church
11.30 Group 2
Søndergaardsparken
Group 3
Bagsværd Church
12.00 Group 3
Søndergaardsparken
12.15 Groups 1–2
Godfred Rodes Vej 2, Charlottenlund
12.30 Groups 1–2
Ordrupgaard Museum addition
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12.45 Group 3
Godfred Rodes Vej 2, Charlottenlund
13.00 Groups 1–3
Klampenborg area: Bella Vista, Bellevue Theater,
Søholm Row houses-Lunch on Bus
14.30 Groups 1–3
Kronborg Castle, finished as ”Kronborg”
16.00 Groups 1–3
Louisiana
18.30 Groups 1–3
Fredensborg Houses
19.30 Groups 1–3
Fritz Hansen- dinner
Wednesday September 3, 2008
Guides: Christian Hanak, Rune Christiansen, Dorte Augustenborg
08.15 Groups 1–3
Depart Admiral Hotel walk to Charlottenborg
(10 min. walk)
08.30 Groups 1–3
Lecture at Charlottenborg: Contemporary City
development in Cph./Christian Hanak, Cph.X
09.30 Groups 1–3
Departure Charlottenborg by Metro from Kgs. Nytorv
10.00–10.45 Group 1
Ørestad North, IT-University, 2003, Tietgen College,
Lundgaard & Tranberg, 2005, DR-City 2006
Group 2
Ørestad City, the Signal House, VM-houses and
Ørestad High School
Group 3
Holmbladsgade, Kvartershuset, Sports and Cultural
Center
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11.00–11.45 Group 1
Ørestad City, the Signal House, Nobel Architects
2006, VM-houses, Plot Architects, 2004 and Ørestad
High School, 3XNielsen, 2007
Group 2
Holmbladsgade, Kvartershuset, Sports and Cultural
Center
Group 3
Ørestad North, IT-University, Tietgenkoll., DR-City
12.15–13.15 Group 1
Holmbladsgade, Kvartershuset, 2003, Dorte Mandrup
Ark, Sports and Cultural Center, 2006 Dorte Mandrup
Ark.
Group 2
Ørestad North, IT-University, Tietgenkoll., DR-City
Group 3
Ørestad City, the Signal House, VM-houses and
Ørestad High School
13.45 Groups 1–3
Lunchboxes
15.30 Groups 1–3
A visit at the Danish School of Arch. and a walk on
”Holmen” the old Military area. Torpedohallen (1952),
rebuild for housing, Vandkunsten, 2003 and the 200
years old boathouses
17.30 Groups 1–3
Into to the Opera
18.20 Groups 1–3
Tour in the Opera
19.35 Groups 1–3
Boat to theatre/intro to the theatre
20.15 Groups 1–3
Dinner at the new Theatre
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Thursday, September 4
08.30 Groups 1–2
Workshop in Eigtveds Pakhus
12.30 Groups 1–2
Lunch at Eigtveds Pakhus
13.30 Group 2
Departure to Roskilde
14.00 Group 1
Danish Design Center—Welcome
14.20 Group 1
Architect and designer Thomas Dickson will elaborate on
exhibition and questions
Group 2
Cathedral and Viking ship Museum
15.20 Group 1
Panel discussion with curator
16.00 Group 1
Thomas Dickson and the designers will guide through
exhibition
17.00 Group 2
Departure from Roskilde
19.30 Groups 1–2
Final dinner: Tivoli
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This event was made possible through the generous
support of these sponsors:
Stone Source
In Kind Sponsors:
Louis Poulsen
Fritz Hansen
Eigtveds Pakhus
Danish Architecture Centre
Charlottenborg
The Danish Ministry Of Culture
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Charlottenborg Palace
Date: 1672–1683
Client: Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve
Architect: Ferdinand Meldahl and Frederik Jensen
(exhibition building)
Landscape Architect: Schul & Co (sculpture garden)
The client for the palace was Frederik III’s son and governor of Norway,
and Lambert van Haven is the only architect known to have been
involved with the building. The largest palace on the new Kongens
Nytorv, it was a significant manifestation of the absolute monarchy. There
are certain Dutch features, such as the dark red brick, Dutch clinker, and
sandstone ornaments. Some building materials came from Kalø castle
in Jutland. Charlottenborg is the oldest major monument for Danish
Baroque architecture, and the formal axis symmetry is evident in the main
plan, which originally included a magnificent garden running the length
of Nyhaven Canal. The great hall, facing Kongens Nytorv, was rebuilt by
architect C.F. Hansen in 1827–28, while the Baroque splendor is still evident
in the tripartite arcade in the low, middle wing and its lavish cupola
room above. Since 1753, Charlottenborg has been the home of the Royal
Danish Academy of Fine Arts. In 1996, the architecture school moved
to the Holmen area. The exhibition building behind the palace was built
in 1883 with Ferdinand Meldahl and Frederik Jensen as architects. The
sculpture garden behind Charlottenborg serves as a reminder of Ulrik
Frederik Gyldenløve’s palace garden, Copenhagen’s third botanical garden,
as well as the famous sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen’s last years at the
academy. In 2002 the garden was renovated by Schul & Co in a sensitive
way that preserved its historical character and organic expression, using
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many unusual trees, bushes and plants, as well as stone fragments such
as Thorvaldsen’s table. The garden also serves as a work and seating
area for the students and staff at the sculpture school.
Bruun Rasmussen’s house at Bredgade 33
The house at Bredgade 33 is the oldest of Bruun Rasmussen’s three
major houses that make up the headquarters of Denmark’s most
important auction house. This building was purchased by Arne Bruun
Rasmussen in 1947 and he was fortunate enough to acquire it at the
price of demolition, to which it had been condemned in 1942 as part of a
development project.
This project originally scheduled 27, 29, 31 and part of 33 for demolition
in order to allow Sankt Annæ Plads to be run through to Borgergade
across Store Kongensgade. Christian X’s equestrian statue, which today
looks straight into Bruun Rasmussen’s preview rooms (and not onto
Kongens Have, as originally planned), was part of the plan.
The building dates from 1794, when it was commissioned by Captain Ole
Gjødesen and erected by architect Andreas Hallander. It is an elegant
classicist building with seven bays facing the street and three large luxury
residences divided between three stories. When the building was built the
street was called Norgesgade, and was not named Bredgade until 1877.
One of the most important owners of the building was the founder of
DFDS Seaways, H.P. Prior (1813–75), who acquired the front house
overlooking the harbor. When Prior purchased the building, the present
courtyard housed stables and a large garden.
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In the courtyard is a building Prior built on part of the garden in 1865–66;
this was intended as a studio for his son Lauritz, who was a sculptor.
The studio building’s architect was Wilhelm Petersen and symbolic
reliefs depicting the arts of painting, architecture and sculpture adorn
the façade. In addition, there are a number of portrait medallions, one of
which depicts the great Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.
This rear building has served as studio for many famous Danish artists,
including Carl Bloch, P.S. Krøyer, Laurits Tuxen and Edvard Weie; it has
also housed several schools of art. Both the rear building and the building
facing Bredgade are today protected.
Amalienborg Palace
Date: 1750–60
Client: The families Molktk, Lovenskjold, levetzau and Brockdorff
Architect: Nicolai Eigtved
Amalienborg Palace is the winter home of the Danish royal family. It
consists of four identical palace façades with rococo interiors around
an octagonal courtyard (Amalienborg Slotsplads); in the center of the
square is a monumental equestrian statue of Amalienborg’s founder, King
Frederik V.
According to Eigtved’s master plans for Frederikstad and the Amalienborg
Palaces, the four palaces surrounding the plaza were conceived of as
town mansions for the families of chosen nobility. They were identical
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KLAUS BENTzEN

from the outside, but different on the inside. The site for each palace
was donated free of charge to the chosen aristocrat to build on, and they
were further exempted from taxes and duties. The only conditions were
that the palaces should comply exactly to the Frederikstad architectural
specifications, and that they should be built within a specified time
framework.
Construction of the palaces on the western side of the square started
in 1750. When Eigtved died in 1754 the two western palaces had been
completed. The work on the other palaces was continued by Eigtved’s
colleague and rival, Lauritz de Thurah strictly according to Eigtved’s
plans. The palaces were completed in 1760.
The four palaces are:
n Christian VII’s Palace, originally known as Moltke’s Palace
n Christian VIII’s Palace, originally known as Levetzau’s Palace
n Frederik VIII’s Palace, originally known as Brockdorff’s Palace
n Christian IX’s Palace, originally known as Schack’s Palace
When the Royal Family found itself homeless after the Christiansborg
Castle fire of 1794, the palaces were empty for long periods throughout
the year, with the exception of the Brockdorff Palace, which housed
the Military Academy. The noblemen who owned them were willing to
part with their mansions for promotion and money, and the Moltke and
Schack Palaces were acquired in the course of a few days.
A colonnade, designed by royal architect Caspar Frederik Harsdorff, was
added 1794–1795 to connect the recently occupied King’s palace, Moltke
Palace, with that of the Crown Prince, Schack’s Palace.
Currently, only the palaces of Christian VII and Christian VIII are open to
the public.
Kastellet
Date: 1662–1669
Client: Frederik III
Architect: Henrich Rüse et al
Landscape architects: Edvard Glaesel, H.A. Flindt, Copenhagen
Municipal Park Department
Constructed in the form of a pentagram, Kastellet is one of the best
preserved fortifications in Northern Europe. The five bastions are
named as follows: The King’s Bastion (Kongens Bastion), The Queen’s
Bastion (Dronningens Bastion), The Count’s Bastion (Grevens Bastion),
the Princess’s Bastion (Prinsessens Bastion) and the Prince’s Bastion
(Prinsens Bastion). Kastellet has its own church, as well as a windmill.
Kastellet’s construction was started by Christian IV as far back as
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1626, with the building of an entrenchment in the northern part of the
defense wall of Copenhagen. The King had grand construction plans
and originally hoped to situate a castle on the site so that he himself
could seek haven there, but the plan was dropped due to economic
constraints. Construction continued with his successor, Frederick III. After
the Swedish siege on Copenhagen (1658–1660), the Dutch engineer
Henrik Rüse was called in to help rebuild and extend the construction.
The fortification was named Citadellet Frederikshavn (“The Frederikshavn
Citadel”), but it is better known as Kastellet (“the citadel”). Kastellet was
renovated 1989–1999 with funds from the A.P. Møller and Chastine
McKinney Møller General Fund.
The building is owned by the Danish Defense Ministry and is used by,
among others, the Chief of Staff, the Danish Home Guard (Hjemmeværnet),
the Defense Intelligence (Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste), the Defense
Judge Advocate Corps (Forsvarets Auditørkorps) and the Royal Garrison’s
Library.
Kastellet is a peaceful, protected environment, functioning as a military
area, a cultural-historical monument, a museum and a park. It is located
close to such popular tourist attractions, as the statue of Hans Christian
Andersen’s The Little Mermaid (Den lille havfrue), the Gefion fountain
(Gefionspringvandet), and Langelinie. It is a popular place to go for a
walk on a sunny day, and is very popular with children due to the many
animals and birds in the grounds.
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OLE MALLING

Nyboder housing scheme
Date: 1631–1641
Client: The national government
Architects: Hans van Steenwinkel the younger, Leonhard Blasius,
Philip de Lange
Nyboder is situated close to the train station Østerport in the Østerbro
District. The buildings were built under order of Christian IV in 1631. The
main reason for this step was the increasing need for housing for enlisted
men of the Royal Danish Navy and their families. The first of a total of
20 houses were finished in 1631 on plots of land outside Copenhagen
purchased by the king. Nyboder was a radical departure from the
seventeenth-century housing culture in the crowded, twisted city within
the ramparts. The scheme’s formal, military arrangement, with long, narrow
blocks along straight streets was not without quality both in terms of
housing and aesthetic value. This could be found in the simple, functional
details, including the good proportions and color. In total more than
200 apartments were fitted within the 20 buildings. The buildings have
changed color a number of times since the completion in 1641, ranging
from the national colors of Denmark (red and white) to the reddish yellow
color that adorns the walls today.
Around the turn of the twentieth century, there were plans to demolish
the entire quarter to build new private housing, but fortunately these
were dropped for economic reasons. To this day, the buildings still
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RUDY HEMMINGSEN

house enlisted personnel of the Army, Air Force and Navy. Priority for
enlisted personnel ended in 2006, and the apartments are now not only
a tourist attraction but also seen as upscale accommodation among
Copenhagen’s inhabitants.
The Dronningegård housing scheme
Date: 1943–1958
Client: Private consortia
Architect: Kay Fisker, C.F. Møller and Sven Eske Kristensen
The comprehensive slum clearance program for the quarter around
Adelgade and Borgergade streets in the early 1940s was the largest
urban renewal project ever to be undertaken in Copenhagen at that
time. The project was the result of a long and complicated planning
process, with the municipality functioning as both the property seller and
the planning authority. The scarcities caused by the war were a design
factor in the choice of materials and building methods. Political policies
and the housing shortage led to a very dense housing program, featuring
many small apartments. These difficult conditions are reflected in
Dronningegård’s complex architecture, with its mixture of the past and
the present. The main disposition is one of Neoclassicist monumentality,
but the division of the Eastern and Western parts in nine-story, slim buildings,
intermingled with lower intermediate buildings, gives the largeness a
human scale. This effect is underscored by the gables on the tall buildings,
where the high balcony openings also give the scheme an exclusive
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T. GUNNY HARBOE, AIA

character. The recessed and protruding balconies on the court façades
facing north and south appear as a principal brickwork pattern reinforced
by the careful brick detailing throughout the scheme.
Rosenborg Castle
Date: 1606–1624
Client: The national government
Architect: Christian IV
Rosenborg Castle is a small castle situated in central Copenhagen. The
castle was originally built as a country summerhouse in 1606, and is an
example of Christian IV’s many architectural projects. It was built in the
Dutch Renaissance style, typical of Danish buildings during this period,
and has been expanded several times, finally evolving into its present
condition by the year 1624. Architects Bertel Lange and Hans van
Steenwinckel are associated with the structural planning of the castle.
The castle was used by Danish regents as a royal residence until around
1710. After the reign of Frederik IV, Rosenborg was used as a royal residence
only twice, and both these times were during emergencies. The
first time was after Christiansborg Palace burned down in 1794, and the
second time was during the British attack on Copenhagen in 1801.
The castle is open to the public for tours and houses a museum exhibiting
the Royal Collections, including artifacts spanning a breadth of royal
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WONDERFUL COPENHAGEN

Danish culture, from the late sixteenth century of Christian IV to the
nineteenth century. Some of these articles once belonged to the nobility
and the aristocracy. The castle, now state property, was opened to the
public in 1838.
The castle attracts an estimated 200,000 visitors every year. Of special
interest to tourists is an exhibition of the Crown Jewels and the Danish
Crown Regalia located in the castle. A Coronation Carpet is also stored
there. In the summer, flowers bloom in the castle garden.
The King’s Garden Kongens Have
Client: Christian IV
Landscape architects: Johan Cornelius Krieger, The Royal Castles
and Gardens
The Rosenborg Castle is situated in Kongens Have (“The King’s
Garden”), also known as “Rosenborg Castle Garden”. The Rosenborg
Castle Garden is the country’s oldest royal garden and was embellished
in the Renaissance style by Christian IV shortly before the construction
of the main castle. Today, the gardens are a popular retreat in the centre
of Copenhagen, and attract an estimated 2.5 million visitors every year.
Next to the castle are barracks where the Danish Royal Life Guards, Den
Kongelige Livgarde, perform exercises.
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CEES VAN ROEDEN

Grabrodre Torv Gentry Housing
Date: ca. 1730
Client: Several
Architect: J.C. Krieger
This row of housing is one of the few examples of attached “conflagration
houses,” the standard house type prescribed after the Copenhagen
fires in 1728, according to a prototype by J.C. Krieger, the chief national
building master. The street façade had to be brick, while the rear façades
and side buildings could be half timber. These requirements were later
eased, as few could afford to follow them. However, Krieger’s prototype
had an effect on the new gentry housing built after the fire, in that it gave a
somewhat homogenous character to the city, with uniform street façades,
without relief, but often with strongly characterized gables. In 1904, painter
Jens Møller-Joensen took the initiative to have the façades painted in the
original, bright colors, a practice that has been respected since.
25
WONDERFUL COPENHAGEN

Rundetårn
Date: 1637–1656
Client: The national government
Architects: Jørgen Scheffel, Hans van Steenwinkel the Younger, I.
& J. Exner
Landscape architect: Sven-Ingvar Andersson
Rundetårn, a seventeenthcentury
tower, is part of
the Trinitatis complex,
which was built to provide
the scholars of the time
with an astronomical
observatory, a student
church and a university
library.
One of his most wellknown
buildings,
Rundetårn was built
upon request from King
Christian IV and designed
by architect Hans
Steenwinckel the Younger.
The foundation stone was
laid on July 7, 1637, and
the tower was finished in
1642. The Trinitatis church
was not finished until
1656, and the library not
until 1657. The observatory
(which is the oldest functioning
observatory in Europe) and the library were used by the University
of Copenhagen until 1861. Astronomers having used the observatory
include Ole Rømer (1644–1710) and Peder Horrebow (1679–1764). When
Rundetårn was first built, it was for the students who lived in little dormitories
to study in the observatory and the library.
Instead of stairs, a unique 7.5-turn helical corridor, or spiral walk, leads
to the top of the tower, 34.8 m above street level, where the observatory
and a minor planetarium are located. The corridor also provides access
to the church and the library. This design was necessary to allow a horse
and carriage to access the library, moving books in and out.
In Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Tinder Box” the largest
of the three dogs is said to have eyes as large as the Round Tower at
Copenhagen (Rundetårn).
26
IRENEUSz CYRENEK

Thorvaldsen Museum
Date: 1839–1848
Client: The national government and the municipality of
Copenhagen
Architect: Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll
Thorvaldsen Museum represents a complete rebuilding of the old Royal
Coach House, located close to Christiansborg Palace in the centre of
Copenhagen. On the outside, Thorvaldsen Museum is very simple in
shape. The roof is only slightly raised, so that it cannot be seen from
street level. And the first impression of the shape of the building is that of
a huge cube, or one enormous building brick, 65.15 m long by 36.25 m
wide by 13.65 m high. The building’s façades were decorated with colors
that were quite different from other buildings in Copenhagen at the time
of its erection in 1839–1848.
At the top of the building a sculpture was erected, representing Victoria,
the goddess of victory, with her team of four horses—a symbol of
Thorvaldsen’s victory through his art. Just beneath the roof, the Museum
was given a robust cornice running all the way around, like a white
band holding the entire building together. There are three features in
particular that give a special quality to the exterior of the Museum:
1) the brightly-colored walls, dominated by yellow. The architect of the
Museum, Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll, was profoundly inspired by the
architecture of the ancient world; in particular, he was fascinated by the
27
CHRISTIAN ALSING

traces of bright colors that had been discovered in ancient architecture.
2) The portal motif with the obliquely sloping sides, enclosing all doors
and windows on all four sides of the Museum. 3) The long picture frieze
portraying Thorvaldsen’s arrival home in Copenhagen from Rome, showing
his many works being transported to the Museum. The frieze was
Bindesbøll’s idea, and was executed by the painter Jørgen Sonne.
The Museum was built with two floors and a basement. It was arranged
mainly as a series of small rooms, so that it was possible for visitors
to engross themselves in the individual sculptures in peace and quiet,
without being disturbed by too many impressions at a time. The original
models for Thorvaldsen’s large monumental sculptures were placed in
the huge entrance hall, and Christ and The Twelve Apostles were erected
in the Christ Hall. These are the same sculptures as those found in
marble in the Cathedral Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen.
The architect sought to create variety everywhere. The mosaics in the
floors vary from room to room. The deep, full colors of the walls differ, but
are nevertheless kept within a specific color range. All the decorated ceilings
are different, and often motifs from ceilings in ancient buildings that
had been excavated in Rome, Pompeii or Herculaneum formed the starting
point for the patterns and decorations. We know the names of the
painters who executed the decorations in accordance with Bindesbøll’s
overall idea, and several of them are among the best known Danish
Golden Age artists.
Christianborg Palace
Date: 1733–45, 1918–1928
Client: The national government
Architects: Elias David Häusser, Nicolai Eigtved and Thorvald
Jørgensen
Christiansborg Palace, on Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is the
home of Denmark’s three supreme powers: executive, legislative, and
judicial. It is the only building in the world that houses all of its nation’s
highest governing bodies. Christiansborg Palace is owned by the Danish
state, and is run by the Palaces and Properties Agency.
As a result of two serious fires, the palace today bears witness to three
eras of Danish architecture. The first fire occurred in 1794, and the
second in 1884. The main part of the current palace, built in 1928, is in
the historicist Neo-Baroque style. The chapel dates to the 1800s and is
in a Neoclassical style. The show grounds were built in the eighteenth
century, in a Baroque style.
The first castle on the site was Absalon’s Castle, built in 1176. The castle
28

was surrounded by a curtain wall of limestone from Stevns Cliffs. The
remains of this curtain wall are preserved today in the ruins beneath
Christiansborg, and it can be seen from the ruins how the wall was constructed.
From Absalon’s Castle, the foundations of some houses, which
lay within the curtain wall, as well as a well, have also been preserved.
The well, a so-called hulk well made from hollowed out oak trunks,
contained when it was excavated several building fragments of marble,
which are believed to originate from a church that must have lain within
the Bishop’s castle.
Absalon’s Castle stood for 200 years, and the ruins show how the
castle’s owners developed and renewed the building. The castle was frequently
under attack, for example by Wend pirates and the Hanseatic cities,
and during the years 1249 to 1259 it was occupied and plundered. In
1369 the castle was taken by the enemies of Valdemar Atterdag from the
Hanseatic League. The Hanseatic cities sent stonemasons to demolish
the castle stone by stone. The castle had long been a terrible nuisance
to the Hanseatic cities’ trade in the Sound, and the time had now come
to remove it. Since Denmark had considerable interests to defend in the
area, a new castle was soon built to take its place.
During the years after the demolition of Absalon’s Castle, the ruins on
the island were covered with earthworks, on which the new stronghold,
Copenhagen Castle, was built.
This castle was surrounded by a high wall, a moat and a large, solid
tower as an entrance gate. The castle was still the property of the
29
CEES VAN ROEDEN

Bishop Absalon of Roskilde until King Eric of Pomerania usurped the
rights to the castle in 1417. From then on the castle in Copenhagen
was occupied by the king.
The castle was rebuilt several times. Christian IV, for example, added
a spire to the large entrance tower, which under the name of the Blue
Tower gained a reputation as a prison. In the 1720s, Frederik IV entirely
rebuilt the castle, but it became so heavy that the walls began to give way
and to crack. It therefore became evident to Christian VI, Frederik IV’s
successor, immediately after his accession to the throne in 1730, that an
entirely new castle had to be built.
In 1731, after demolishing the overextended and antiquated Copenhagen
Castle, Christian VI commissioned architect Elias David Häusser to build
the first Christiansborg Palace, and in 1733 work started on the magnificent
Baroque palace. By 1738, work on the main palace had progressed
so far that it was possible to start on the other buildings included in the
total project, such as showgrounds and a chapel. Most of the palace
complex was completed in 1745. The palace and church were ruined by
a fire in 1794, but the showgrounds were saved.
While the royal family lived in temporary accommodations at Amalienborg
Palace (after first having lived at Rosenborg Castle), the master builder of
Altona, architect Christian Frederik Hansen, was called to Copenhagen to
resurrect the palace. Hansen started building the second Christiansborg
in 1803 in a French Empire style. By the time the palace was finished in
1828, Frederik VI had decided he did not want to live there after all, and
only used the royal premises for entertainment. During this time, the palace
also housed the Parliament (Folketing) and administrative services.
Frederik VII was the only monarch to live in the palace, which he did
between 1852–1863.
The second Christiansborg burned down in 1884. Saved were Hansen’s
chapel, the showgrounds, the building linking the palace to the chapel,
and the ministerial buildings on Slotsholmsgade.
Thorvald Jørgensen won an architecture competition to decide who
would design the third Christiansborg, which was built from 1907 to
1928. The palace was to contain premises for the royal family, the legislature
and the judiciary, and was built in Neo-Baroque style in reinforced
concrete with granite-covered façades. Fragments from C.F. Hansen’s
palace were preserved in the north façade facing Prince Jørgen’s Yard
(Prins Jørgens Gård). The original roof was tiled, but after a national collection,
the tiles were replaced with copper in 1937–1938. A weather vane
with two crowns was later added to the tower, and at 106 m became the
tallest tower in the city.
30

During the digging work, archeologists came across the ruins of Absalon’s
Castle and Copenhagen Castle. It was decided to make them publicly
accessible, and the historical exhibition opened to the public in 1924.
Slotskirken Christianborg Palace Church
Date: 1826
Client: The national government
Architect: Christain Frederik Hansen
The history of Christiansborg Palace Church goes back to the first
Christiansborg Palace, which was built by the contractor general Elias
David Häusser from 1733–45. Christian VI, who was keen on architecture,
commissioned a talented young architect in the King’s Building
Service, Nicolai Eigtved, to design the palace chapel (1738–42). Eigtved
seized the opportunity and designed one of the most distinguished
Rococo interiors in Denmark.
In 1794 fire ravaged the palace and it was decided to demolish the ruins
completely; the demolition never took place, however.
Architect Christian Frederik Hansen, who resurrected the palace between
1803–1828, was also commissioned to rebuild the palace chapel in 1810.
31
NICOLAI PERJESI

Work commenced in 1813, using the existing foundations and masonry
as far as possible. The church and main palace were built in strict
neo-classical style, with a dome construction on top of a central church
interior. The palace chapel was inaugurated on Whit Sunday, May 14,
1826, to mark the 1,000th anniversary of the introduction of Christianity to
Denmark.
The second palace fire in 1884 spared the church, as the fire was stopped
in the buildings linking it to the palace. However, fate finally caught up with
the church on June 7, 1992, when it burned to the ground, probably set
ablaze by fireworks set off during the Whitsun carnival.
During the 1992 church fire, the roof, dome and dividing floor were
burned down and the inventory severely damaged. Shortly afterwards,
the Danish Ministry of Finance’s Palaces and Properties Agency began
rebuilding the chapel in collaboration with Erik Møller’s Drawing Studio
A/S and Royal Inspector of Listed State Buildings Jens Fredslund. No
drawings existed of the dome and roof, but a systematic exercise in building
archaeology registered the charred remains of the building, and made
it possible to recreate the dome and roof. Historically accurate building
methods were also used throughout the rebuilding process.
Danish craftsmen were unable to undertake the difficult work of restoring
and recreating the interior’s scagliola. One of Germany’s leading experts,
Manfred Siller, took charge and taught the venerable technique to Danish
stucco workers. The rebuilt church was inaugurated on January 14, 1997,
to celebrate Margrethe II’s Silver Jubilee. The rebuilding was awarded the
prestigious Europa Nostra prize.
Holmens Church
Date: 1619, 1641–1643
Client: The national government
Architect: Peter de Duncker et al
This building is a Renaissance church of the first half of the seventeenth
century and is located close to the harbor. The core was originally an
anchor forge built in 1563 by the Dutch builder Peter de Duncker. The
gable to the west dates from that time, and belonged to a tower which
fronted the forge towards the canal. The forge was consecrated as a
navy church in 1619 at the behest of Christian IV. It was greatly extended
in 1641–43, when the tower was absorbed into the church as the choir,
and transepts were added with gables matching the original one. The
copper spire over the crossing also dates from that time. The blank
arches in the west gable were windows until 1661 when the large altarpiece
was installed. The sepulchral chapel to the right is from 1704–6
32

(Baroque), and the sacristy to the left is from the 1870s (Neo-Baroque)
when the church underwent a major restoration.
The main entrance on the East Gable is the old King’s Portal from
Roskilde cathedral, which was moved here in 1872. It carries the date
1635 and Christian IV’s monogram. The church has been rendered and
painted since the major extensions of the 1640s because of the mixture
of building materials. In 1872, the walls were rendered in a red cement.
When one looks closely one can see that it is painted as red and yellow
bricks. The long sepulchral chapel of 1704–6 was designed by the court
architect Johan Conrad Ernst.
The interior is designed in the highly ornamented version of the Baroque
at that time. The flattened barrel vault with stucco ornamentation dates
from the 1640s with only a few alterations. The gallery running around the
church dates from the restoration of 1872. The votive ship hanging in the
nave is a common feature of Danish churches. It is a model made in 1904
from a drawing of 1697 of Admiral Niels Juel’s flagship.
The pulpit and altar were made by Abel Schrøder in 1661. On the pulpit,
biblical scenes are flanked by the apostles. On the altarpiece are scenes
of the Last Supper, the Crucifixion (flanked by the evangelists), the
Resurrection and the Last Judgment.
33

Danmarks Nationalbank
Date: 1971
Client: Danmarks Nationalbank
Architect: Arne Jacobsen, Dissing+Weitling A/S
Landscape architect: Arne Jacobsen and Eywin Langkilde
The relationship between Dissing+Weitling and Danmarks Nationalbank
dates back to 1961, when Arne Jacobsen won an invited competition
to design the Nationalbank complex. The first phase of the project was
inaugurated shortly before his death in 1971, after which Dissing+Weitling
completed the following two phases.
The studio has designed and overseen the construction of many renovations
and additions to the Nationalbank, including an extensive renovation
and expansion of the bank’s roof terrace, employee dining lounge, and
kitchen.
The challenge here was to create a strong identity for the space, while
integrating the design harmoniously within the existing architecture.
Dissing+Weitling developed a scheme characterized by a high degree of
refined detailing, emphasizing the project’s restrained architecture and
clear functionality.
The glass staircase highlights this design strategy. The stair, which
functions as a floating transitional element between new and old, was
developed in close collaboration with the engineers and fabricators.
34
T. GUNNY HARBOE, AIA

Borsen
Date: 1619–1625
Client: The national government
Architects: Lorenz and Hans van Steenwinkel et al.
The Stock Exchange is one of Copenhagen’s most spectacular and
oldest buildings. Christian IV had it built in 1620, in an effort to turn
Copenhagen into a financial centre to compete with Amsterdam. The
Stock Exchange was built on top of water, on filled-in foundations.
Because canals surrounded it on three sides, the building has managed
to survive the various fires that have ravaged Copenhagen through the
years. The Stock Exchange was originally built to be a meeting place
for Danish and foreign merchants. It was filled with shops, and the first
floor was converted into a warehouse where you could buy everything
from books to grains. The long building is magnificently decorated with
dormer windows, but the most characteristic thing about the Stock
Exchange is the spire. Four dragons with their tails intertwined form
the spire and topped by three golden crowns that symbolize the three
Nordic countries of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. In the nineteenth
century, the building was converted into a modern stock exchange.
Today, the stock exchange operations have moved to Nicolaj Plads
square, but the Copenhagen Chamber of Commerce still uses the big
hall for meetings.
35
CEES VAN ROEDEN

Mitzvah Dansk Jødisk Historie:
Danish Jewish Museum
Date: 2003–2004
Client: Danish Jewish Museum
Architect: Daniel Libeskind
The Danish Jewish Museum is based on the unique story of Danish Jews
who were saved by the Danes in October 1943. The concept for the
Museum was developed from the Hebrew word Mitzvah—an obligation
or a good deed—which is symbolized in the form, structure and light of
the Museum. The Danish Jewish Museum was completed in September
2003 and opened in June 2004. SDL worked with Tomrerfirma Gert Fort
A/S on the project.
The unique context in which The Danish Jewish Museum will find its new
home represents a deep historical legacy. As the Royal Boat House built
by Christian IV at the turn of the seventeenth century, then transformed
along with the new walls of the Royal Library at the turn of the twentieth
century, the new use of the building by the Jewish Museum will share in
this fascinating tradition.
Indeed, the space
and the transformation
of its functions
across almost half a
millennium expresses
the continuity and significance
of the many
layers of narratives that
the building offers to
the public as a Jewish
Museum.
BITTER+BREDT
36
The design of the
Danish Jewish
Museum has both
urban and architectural
aspects. On the urban
level it ties together the
new library and the old
library by activating the
pedestrian walk along
the Proviantgården in
the interior of the Royal
Library courtyard. It
does so by turning one
of its internal planes,

Exodus, into an urban space in which water and a symbolic rowboat
dramatically speak to the uniqueness of the survival of the Danish Jewish
community. The architecture of the interior entrance space is meant to
communicate the true importance of the museum. The visitor is drawn
into the internal courtyard entrance, marked on both the horizontal and
vertical dimensions. The horizontal space, or ground level of the entrance,
is configured by an ensemble of conversation spaces developed into
intimate meeting points for visitors and a space for an outdoor cafe in the
summer months. The vertical walls are then marked by a projection of the
Mitzvah configuration whose trace can be followed into the depths of the
exhibition.
The organizing principle of The Danish Jewish Museum is the concept of
Mitzvah and its deep ethical meaning as a commandment, a resolve, and
as a fundamental good deed. The museum takes the tradition of writing,
reading and memory as the overall matrix of organizing the exhibition
space. In doing this, it is Mitzvah, on both emblematic and architectural
levels, that guides a dialogue between the ancient vaulted space of the
Royal Boat House and the walls of the Royal Library in relation to the
experience of the new museum. To further emphasize this idea the entire
exhibition space is illuminated by a luminous stained glass window that is
a microcosm of Mitzvah, transforming light across the day.
Once inside, the visitor has easy access to the cafe that is also conceived
of as part of the exhibition space and doubles as a projection space.
After entering the exhibition proper, the visitors are in a space constructed
of a wooden floor with slightly sloping planes, representing four
planes of discourse. This matrix is organized by four planes that intersect
in the floor structure and emanate from the inside to the outside of the
building, leaving their marks at the entrance of the museum and along
the pedestrian path along the Royal Library Garden. The four planes—
Exodus, Wilderness, The Giving of the Law and The Promised Land—
structure a topographical landscape that grows to its fullest density within
the vaulted volume of the existing building. These planes are articulated in
both the corrugated floor sections and in the projection of walls, vitrines
and the path of the installation.
The section of the museum that integrates the entrance, the cafe and
support spaces is unified by the overall exhibition space, meant to
be read and experienced like a text within a text. This is a text in which
the margins (walls, internal spaces, vitrines, virtual perspectives) play a
fundamental role as the peripheral commentaries of the Talmud due to its
central text. The entire space of the exhibition is penetrated by an oblique
slope that opens a fifth virtual plane, forming surface and a horizon,
integrating all the surrounding exhibitions. The surface is used in the exhibition
as tables, plinths and vitrines. It is also a visual vector that extends
the visitor’s experience beyond the walls of the museum.
37

The Black Diamond: Den Sorte
Diamant—The Royal Library addition:
Det Kongelige Bibliotek
Date: 1999
Client: The Ministry of Culture
Architect: Schmidt, Hammer & Lassen K/S
Den Sorte Diamant figures
prominently among the
architectural icons on the
Copenhagen waterfront.
The extension to the library
is an imaginatively conceived
mo nolith of seven
stories–a sculptured casket
clad in lustrous black
granite. The classic cube is
animated by the façades’
strikingly tilted planes
and obli quely sheared
surfaces, and by the airy,
glazed ground floor that
allows the “diamond” to
float. A broad “crevasse”
cleaves the mass into
two, creating space for a
light-filled atrium. A large,
vibrant, organic space
set on the axis that connects
the water with the
city–and the new library building with the old. Apart from housing the
library’s key functions, the extension incorpora tes a bookshop, café,
restaurant, a clutch of research centers and archives, a roof terrace and
the Queen’s Hall, seating 600 and providing a venue for con certs, stage
performances and conferences. The library extension sits on the new
plaza Søren Kierkegaard Plads–a popular focal point at the heart of the
bustling life of the city.
38
BJØRN THUNæS

Marmorbro Bridge
Date: 1733–1745, 1918
Client: The national government
Architect: Nicolai Eigtved
The Marmorbro Bridge, in addition to the equestrian grounds, is the only
remaining structure of the original Christiansborg Palace built by Christian
VI in 1733–1745 with E.D. Häusser as architect. Nicolai Eigtved, who was
a champion of the French rococo, designed the statuesque bridge and
the pavilions at each end.
Strøget
Date: 1962–1995
Client: Copenhagen Municipality
Architect: The municipal architect’s department and the municipal
engineer’s department
Strøget (literally “the straight” or to wander) is a car-free zone. This
popular tourist attraction in the centre of town is the longest pedestrian
shopping area in Europe.
The street is bounded on the west by Rådhuspladsen (“The City Hall
Square”), the central town square by Copenhagen City Hall, and on the
east by Kongens Nytorv (“The King’s New Square”), another large square
39
THOMAS NYKROG

CEES VAN ROEDEN
at the other end. But the Strøget area is actually a collection of streets
that spread out from this central thoroughfare. These streets, in order
from Rådshuspladsen to Kongens Nytorv, are as follows:
n Frederiksberggade
n Gammel Torv / Nytorv
n Nygade
n Vimmelskaftet
n Amagertorv
n Østergade
Many of the city’s most famous and expensive stores, such as
Illums Bolighus, Magasin du Nord, the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain
Manufactory, and chain stores, are located along the strip. There are also
a multitude of souvenir shops and fast food outlets.
Strøget was created in the 1960s when cars were beginning to dominate
Copenhagen’s old central streets. Municipal politicians wanted to ensure
some areas remained car-free. Since then it has become a model often
emulated elsewhere. Danish architect and urban planner Jan Gehl has
been instrumental in the creation of this pedestrian zone.
For many years in the late 20th century, tourists on Strøget enjoyed the
spectacle of a large
man in full Viking costume,
directing them
to one of the sweater
markets. Today, there
is a variety of street
entertainment.
40
The west end of Strøget
at Rådhuspladsen is a
short walking distance
to Tivoli Gardens and
Copenhagen’s Central
Train Station. At the
east end of Strøget
at Kongens Nytorv
are located the Royal
Danish Theatre and the
exclusive d’Angleterre
Hotel. Kongens Nytorv
is a short walking
distance to the popular
Nyhavn area, Langelinie
and Amalienborg
Palace, the royal
residence.

Helligåndskirken
Date: 13th Century, 1732
Client: Originally a Catholic convent
Architect: (restoration): Herman Baagø Stork
Landscape architect: Edith Nørgård
In the heart of Copenhagen’s “medieval town,” in the middle of the
pedestrian street between Kongens Nytorv and the Town Hall Square,
stands the Church of the Holy Ghost, which is one of the city’s oldest
churches, built c. 1400.
In 1878–80, the building underwent a comprehensive restoration and
rebuilding under the direction of the architect Herman Baagø Stork,
who among other things reconstructed the spire dating from 1594 and
replaced many of the furnishings with new ones in Renaissance style.
The pulpit and the main organ’s façade of 1879 are among the things
which stem from Storck’s restoration. On the south gallery over the porch
entrance there is a small organ which the church acquired in 1998. It was
built in 1899 by I. Starup for Smørum Church. The façade was designed
by Herman Baagø Stork and suits the church interior perfectly.
41

Vor Frue Church
Date: 1811–1829
Client: The national government and Copenhagen University
Architect: Christian Frederik Hansen
The Church of Our Lady is the cathedral of Copenhagen and the National
Cathedral of Denmark. It is situated on Vor Frue Plads and next to the
main building of the University of Copenhagen. The present day version
of the church was designed by the architect Christian Frederik Hansen in
the neoclassical style and was completed in 1829.
The building measures 83 m in length and 33 m in width. The interior of
the nave is 60 m long and over 25 m from floor to ceiling. With all galleries
open, the church can seat more than 1100 people. The tower is 60
m high and houses the four church bells (Stormklokken weighs 4 tons
and is the largest bell in Denmark. The smallest bell in the tower, used at
morning service among other occasions, is the oldest bell in the country,
dating from 1490 and taken from Antvorskov Klosterkirke).
The pediment is decorated with bronzes of Jesus and the Apostles.
The interior is likewise decorated with the twelve apostles, Jesus and
an angel, all in Italian marble. All of these sculptures were completed in
Rome by the famous Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.
Construction of the original Collegiate Church of St. Mary, began no
later than 1187 under Bishop Absalon, and was located on the highest
point near the new town of Havn, later Copenhagen. Building at St
Mary’s continued
on and off until 1209
when it was consecrated
by Absalon’s
successor, Bishop
Peder Sunesen on
Ascension Sunday in
March, the traditional
feast day of
the cathedral. The
church was built in
Romanesque style
with its half-rounded
arches inside and out.
The church belonged
to Roskilde Cathedral,
the seat of the Bishop
of zealand and the
capital of Denmark at
the time.
MIKKEL GRABOWSKI
42

In 1314 a fire destroyed the limestone cathedral so completely that it was
rebuilt in the popular new building material of the day, over-sized red
brick. The style of building was Gothic, with its typical pointed arches.
The rebuilding of the simple church with a long nave and choir continued
until 1388. Due to a lack of money, the great tower was not built until
the reign of Christian II. It was as high as the church was long, and from
artwork of the day, out of proportion to the size of the church.
The Protestant Reformation was hard on the St Mary’s. By royal decree
both Catholic priests and Lutheran preachers were commanded to
use the church jointly, which incensed the majority of Copenhagen’s
population. On 27 Dec 1530 hundreds of citizens stormed St Mary’s and
destroyed every statue and tore the choir stalls to pieces. The richly gilt
17 altars were stripped of anything of value and smashed. Vestments,
and altar equipment were stripped of jewels and gold, reliquaries were
broken open and the contents destroyed.
Lightning strikes damaged the church in 1573 and 1585, collapsing the
some of the vaulting, tower, and roof. The tower was eventually torn down
and rebuilt by 1609. It had an extremely tall pyramidal central spire with
four shorter spires at each corner.
The medieval cathedral, along with about a third of the rest of the city,
burned down in a four-day conflagration in October 1728. Our Lady
was completely destroyed. In addition, all the many chapels and eighty
epitaphs commemorating some of Denmark’s most prominent nobles and
Our Lady’s wealthy parishioners were destroyed. The church was reconstructed
in red brick by 1738 with a simple long nave and rounded choir
added at the end, essentially on the same plan as the medieval church.
The interior was a combination of Gothic and the ornate Baroque style of
the time. Ranks of tall half-round windows let in natural light and the ribbed
brick vaulting arched high over head from two long rows of squared pillars
supporting the roof. A row of side chapels ringed the nave and choir giving
the appearance of a five aisled church which impressed all who entered,
including Christian VI, who oversaw the building’s progress with impatience.
Friedrich Ehbisch carved a magnificent new altarpiece and pulpit in
the finest Baroque tradition. The best-preserved ancient gravestones from
the floor of the old church were replaced in the floor although not in the
same locations as before. The exterior was plain red brick with the exception
of an ornate sandstone doorway beneath the spire.
After the fire of 1728, the new tower rose higher than the previous one
tapering to a tall spire modeled after the spire of St. Martin in the Fields
in London. The bells from St Nikolai Church were moved to the new spire
in 1743 and a set of four new bells were cast and added to the tower.
The largest bell “The King’s Bell” weighed just over 6000 kg. In time the
tower held 42 bells. It was popular at the time to pay for extra ringing after
weddings and funerals, which was a source of complaint by university
43

students who were trying to study. A smaller tower in the same style was
added to the roof line above the choir.
In September 1807 the cathedral fell victim to the bombardment of
Copenhagen by the British Navy under Admiral James Gambier in the
Napoleonic Wars. With most of the army on the border of Schleswig-
Holstein, the city was nearly defenseless. For three days the British fleet
bombarded the city and the coastal forts. British gunners used the tower
of Our Lady Church for range practice setting it ablaze. The church was
burned to the ground along with nearby sections of Copenhagen.
Denmark’s finest architect, Christian Frederik Hansen, redesigned the
cathedral in the Neoclassical style. Due to a lack of resources they
incorporated elements of the surviving walls. The old surviving vaulting
was blown up to make way for a church built in the new style. A pillared
portico and a flat interior ceiling and simple classical lines are very different
from the medieval church. The cornerstone was laid in 1817, and
the work was completed by Whitsun Day in 1829. Bertel Thorvaldsen
was commissioned to decorate the interior with statues of Christ and
the apostles; Judas Iscariot was replaced by St Paul. Other artists also
contributed sculptures and paintings.
The tower, based on the older medieval tower, was a controversial
afterthought. The Neo-Classical style did not include towers. But citizens
demanded and received a tower modeled on the older medieval tower.
The tower is 60 meters high and contains four bells. Thorvaldsen carved
and donated the modern font as a personal gift to the cathedral.
The church was only designated the National Cathedral of Denmark in
1924. Its relatively recent cathedral status stems from splitting of zealand
(Sjaelland) into two Lutheran dioceses in 1922.
Major renovation organized by Professor Vilhelm Wohlert in 1977–79
removed various additions that had accrued in the interior of the church
over the years. A new large central organ was completed in 1995, with a
choir organ added in 2002. The crypt has been converted into a museum
which contains models of the various iterations of the building.
Stelling building
Date: 1938
Client: Paint merchant firm A. Stelling
Architect: Arne Jacobsen
At the time the building was completed, both its architecture and choice
of materials were a startling innovation. The slender reinforced concrete
structure is sided with painted steel panels on the two lower floors, while
the three upper floors are sided with a continuous surface of glazed tiles.
44

Copenhagen City Hall
Date: 1892–1905
Client: Copenhagen Municipality
Architect: Martin Nyrop, KHR AS Arkiteker
45
The façades clearly express
the building’s functional
organization with the shop
on the ground floor, offices
on the upper floors and an
apartment on the roof level.
The precise proportioning of
the façade and the careful
detailing make this building
an exceptional, refined infill
project. Arne Jacobsen was
also responsible for the interior
design and furnishings in
the shop. These elements,
which contributed to the
building’s homogeneity, no
longer exist.
The present Copenhagen City Hall is situated on Rådhuspladsen (City
Hall Square) in central Copenhagen.
It was designed by architect Martin Nyrop and the design for the building
was inspired by the city hall of Siena, Italy. Construction began in 1892
and the hall was opened on September 12, 1905. It is a masterpiece
of integrated design and
craftsmanship. Everything
has been designed by
Nyrop and executed to
perfection.
The appearance of the
city hall is dominated by
its impressive front, the
golden statue of Bishop
Absalon just above the
balcony, and the tall, slim
tower with a clock. The city
hall tower is, at 105.6 m,
one of the tallest buildings
in Copenhagen.
IRENEUSz CYRANEK

In addition to the tower clock, the city hall houses Jens Olsen’s World Clock.
Before the city hall moved to its present location, it was situated at
Gammeltorv/Nytorv. The first city hall was in use from about 1479 until it
burned down in the great Copenhagen fire of 1728.
The second city hall was built in 1728 and was designed by J.C. Ernst
and J.C. Krieger. It burned down in the Copenhagen fire of 1795.
It was not until 1815 that a new city hall, designed by C.F. Hansen, was
erected on Nytorv. It was intended to house both the city hall and a court.
Today it is still in use as the city court of Copenhagen.
Palace Hotel
Date: 1907–1910
Client: Director Anders Jensen
Architect: Anton Sofus Rosen
The hotel complex is a major work in Anton Rosen’s production and also
in Danish jugend architecture. There is an exclusive cosmopolitan ambience
in the massive façade facing the city hall square, and the architect’s
love of form was given free rein in the sensual entrance and the elegant,
slender tower that steals attention from the much higher, neighboring city
hall tower. All the hotel’s original interiors and furnishings were designed
by Anton Rosen, but no longer exist. The building complex runs from the
city hall square to Mikkel Bryggersgade street, where the Grand Biograf
theatre façade has a clear jugend character.
46
T. GUNNY HARBOE, AIA

Copenhagen Central Station:
Københavns Hovedbanegård
Date: 1904–1911
Client: The Danish State Railways
Architect: Heinrich Wenck
Copenhagen Central Station is the largest train station in Denmark,
placed in Copenhagen, with entrances to Bernstorffsgade (at Tivoli
Gardens), Banegårdspladsen, Reventlowsgade and access to platforms
from Tietgensgade.
The station is served by Intercity and regional trains, as well as S-trains.
It has 12 tracks. On the station concourse, there are small shops and fast
food outlets.
The first railway station in Copenhagen was built in 1847. It served
Roskildebanen, and it was made of wood because it was built outside
the fortifications where buildings with foundations were not allowed.
This was soon necessary due to plans to extend the railway network in
Denmark. A new station, designed by H. J. Herholdt, opened in 1864.
The second station also proved too small, especially because there was
only one track connection leading out of the city. A new station was built,
with a tube to Østerport station, and with the tracks leading out of the city
to the south. Designed by Heinrich Wenck, it was finished on December 1,
1911, and it is the present station.
47
CEES VAN ROEDEN

GUNNY HARBOE, AIA
The station was renovated in 1980. Escalators and lifts were established
to carry passengers to the platforms, and the station concourse, which
was originally split into arrival, departure, and freight sections, was
redone completely. The station was renovated again from 2004 to 2008.
This overhaul replaced the roof, lowered platforms 3 to 6 to international
standards, as well as a lengthened these. Also, the towers and the bridge
over the platforms, upon which the main station building is placed, were
reconditioned.
Københavns Hovedbanegård is not connected to the Copenhagen Metro
network, but will become so following the completion of the Metro’s future
City Circle Line. This line is expected to open by 2017. The station is however
connected to most S-train lines, using the same tickets as the metro.
The Radisson SAS Royal Hotel
Date: 1956–1961
Client: Scandinavian Airline System, SAS
Architect: Arne Jacobsen
The Radisson SAS Royal Hotel is the largest hotel in Denmark. When it
was completed in 1960 it was the first skyscraper in Copenhagen. It is
located in the heart of the city, close to Tivoli.
48
The entire hotel, from the
exterior façade through to
the stainless-steel cutlery
used in the restaurant
and the Swan and Egg
chairs gracing the lobby, is
designed by Arne Jacobsen.
In the restored “Royal Suite
#606,” everything from
door handles to furniture
and curtains is designed by
Jacobsen, who has said the
following about the hotel:
“Well, yes, they call it the
punch card, and it’s funny,
for that is actually what it
looks like when the windows
are open on a hot summer’s
day. It has been called a lot
of different things. Svend
Erik Møller called it the ‘glass

cigar box’. And many people thought it was a terribly ugly building, and
many may still think so. At least, it came in first when they held a competition
for the ugliest building in Copenhagen.”
The structure is twenty stories high and a defining characteristic of
Copenhagen’s skyline. Inspired by New York’s Park Avenue structures,
such Skidmore, Owings and Merrill’s Lever House, the building’s sense of
lightness emanates from its two-story base supporting the lofty “punch
card” tower. The effect is also enhanced with the architect’s placing of
“thin aluminum mullions and the pale glass pandrels, and avoids appearing
as a dominant foreign object in conflict with its surrounds.”
Radiohuset
Date: 1936–1942
Client: The national government
Architect: Vilhelm Lauritzen
Landscape architect: G.N. Brandt
Engineer: Chr. Nøkkentved and Ludvig Birch (Birch & Krogboe)
Designed by Vilhelm Lauritzen, Radiohuset has been the headquarters
for Denmark’s Radio Broadcasting since its completion in 1942. The main
entrance faces Rosenørns Allè street, and from Julius Thonsensgade
street there is access to “Studio 1,” a concert hall that seats 1200. There
are two administrative wings and a building with 12 sound studios of
varying size. Originally designed by G.N. Brandt, the roof terrace above
the studio building, with access from the canteen, no longer retains
its original form. An example of the special Nordic transition between
functionalism and modernism, this building was the first of its kind in
Denmark. The architect’s design and delicate choice of materials give the
well-disposed building a poetic grace. The maple paneling in the concert
hall was originally
pale but now has
a refined reddish
patina. Before its
completion the
scheme received
massive public
criticism for its lack
of monumentality,
but on its opening
in 1945, the press
was unanimous in
it praise. Today the
Radiohuset is con-
49

sidered not only a pioneer work in this type of building, but also one of
the twentieth century’s important architectural works. In connection with
DR’s relocation to Ørestaden, the old Radiohuset broadcasting building
was taken over by the Royal Danish Music Conservatory and has been
undergoing a complete restoration and rehabilitation.
Grundtvigs Church
Date: 1921–1940
Client: The national government, the municipality of Copenhagen,
and a private committee
Architect: Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint
Grundtvigs Church (Grundtvigs Kirke) is located in the Bispebjerg district
of Copenhagen. A rare example of expressionist church architecture, its
unusual appearance, makes it one of the best-known churches in the city.
The commission for the construction of a church to be named after the
Danish Philosopher Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig was decided
through a competition, won by Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint in 1913.
However, the First World War delayed the laying of the foundation of the
new church until the 8th of September, 1921. Building took place mainly
from 1921 to 1926,
but further work on
the interior and on
adjacent buildings
continued until 1940,
and the building was
only completed by
Klint’s son Kaare Klint.
IRENEUSz CYRANEK
50
Peder Vilhelm Jensen-
Klint’s design for
Grundtvigs Church
is a synthesis of
architectural styles.
In preparation for the
project, the architect
studied many Danish
village churches,
particularly those with
stepped gables, and
their traditional building
techniques, materials
and decoration
inspired his design.

Klint merged the modern geometric forms of Brick Expressionism with
the classical vertical Gothic style. A long tree-lined road leads through
Bispebjerg cemetery directly towards the church and its symmetrically
placed adjacent buildings, creating a viewing axis similar to those of
the Baroque.
The most striking feature of the building is its west façade, reminiscent
of a westwork or of the exterior of a church organ. This includes the 49
m tall bell tower. Klint decorated the nave with a version of the stepped
gables common on Danish churches, but reinterpreted it by soubling the
apex. The nave was designed with generous dimensions: the triple-aisled
hall church is 76 m long and 35 m wide; the nave has a height of 22 m.
The interior, inspired by Gothic architecture, fits a congregation of 1,800.
Six million yellow bricks, a typical Danish building material, were used
for the edifice. The adjacent buildings, erected to enhance the church’s
visual impact, contain the parish hall and apartments.
Bagsvaerd Church
Date: 1974–76
Client: Bagsvaerd parish council
Architect: Jorn Utzon
The modest church, the color of the Nordic sky, stands tall and proud
between birch trees, its back turned towards the noisy street. The
exterior walls are clad in white prefabricated concrete panels and white
glazed tiles that reflect the light. The aluminum roof gives the church an
industrial, almost austere, appearance. The ambulatories and connecting
pathways are covered with glass roofs.
51

The main sanctuary dominates the tight geometry of the plan: three sections
and a courtyard between two parallel corridors. The glass roofed
circulation-ways blur the transition between nature outside and the
church interior, but nothing prepares one for the sweeping cloudscape
inside the sanctuary.
The sculptural concrete ceiling in the church is sublime and always
changing with a blend of direct and reflected light that filters through
floating clouds. In Utzon’s early sketches make clear that his inspiration
came from nature: the sky and moving clouds.
Structurally, the vaulted ceiling is supported by the glass topped ambulatories.
In contrast to the tight exterior, the softly curved ceiling and the
white light in the sanctuary gives you a feeling of being elevated, or of
getting closer to the heavens.
The interior of the church is almost all white; the walls are specially
treated white concrete, the floors are white concrete tiles, and the trellis
like altar screen is glazed white tiles.
The white is offset by the light pine church benches designed by Jan Utzon
and the textiles designed by Lin Utzon. A trellis wall of light pine covers the
glass wall that separates the sanctuary from the entrance room.
In a country where church buildings are universal, without religious
references, Utzon has designed a church that exalts and comforts with
poetic purity.
Ordrupgaard
Museum Extension
Date: 1916/1982–2005
Client: Wilhelm Hansen
Architect: Gotfred Tvede,
Erik Christian Sorensen,
Zaha Hadid Architects
Consul-general Wilhelm Hansen
had the original building constructed
both as a home and a
setting for his outstanding collection
of contemporary French
art. Architect Gotfred Tvede
designed the scheme in a light,
Neoclassical style. In 1952, the
property and the collection were
donated to the state, after which
52
TOBIAS TOYBERG

Ordrupgaard has functioned as an art museum. In 1982, a new entrance
was designed by Erik Christian Sorenson. In 2001, the Ministry of Culture
organized a closed, EU-only competition for an addition to the museum,
which was won by zaha Hadid. The proposal included an extremely
dramatic building with a simple connection to the gallery. Besides a new
entrance, foyer and shop, the addition contains four large exhibition
spaces and a café. The new architecture should be seen as a treatment
of the surrounding park landscape, in that an organic sequence of buildings
and spatial forms was created.
Klampenborg area: Bellavista, Bellevue
Theater, Soholm Housing Estate
Dates: Bellavista housing scheme: 1932–34
Bellevue Theater, Strandvejen: 1937
Soholm row houses: 1950–1954
Ved Bellevue Bugt housing scheme: 1961
Client: Gentofte Municipality and a private consortium
Architect: Arne Jocobsen
The Klampenborg area features building schemes that display outstanding
examples of Arne Jacobsen’s personal vision of international functionalism.
The simple service building and the round life guard towers at
the Bellevuebadet, built in 1932, illustrate the modern unrestrained life of
the time, and continue to serve their original purpose.
53
Bellavista (1934) still radiates
an elegant Mediterranean
modernity and is one of the
most distinct examples of the
so-called white functionalism,
even though the structure
is not concrete, but stuccoed
brick. The three-winged
scheme opens toward the
view of the strait, which the
apartments on the side wings
can also enjoy, due to the
staggered balconies.
Bellevue Theater was built in
1937 as a setting for summer
revues. The exterior signals a
summer type of levity, further
underscored by the operable

oof over the seating, which can be opened in favorable weather, creating
the ambience of an outdoor theater.
An extensive renovation of the theater was completed by Rolf Henning-
Jenson and Jes Kolpin. The three housing types of the Soholm row
houses demonstrate Jacobsen’s ability to work with attached, exclusive
housing, with consideration for interior and exterior privacy. Jacobsen
himself lived in one of these apartments, and the garden still bears witness
to his exceptional talent. In 1952, nine row houses were built toward
the west with angled, sculptural roof cutoffs. In 1954, the scheme was
completed with the four one-story linked houses toward the north.
Kronborg Castle
Date: 1410/1585
Client: Erik af Pommern/Frederik II/Christian IV
Architect: Hans van Paschen/Antonius van Opbergen
The castle’s story dates back to a fortress, Krogen, built in the 1420s by
the Danish king, Eric of Pomerania. The king insisted on the payment
of sound dues by all ships wishing to enter or leave the Baltic Sea; to
help enforce his demands, he built a powerful fortress controlling the
sound. It then consisted of a number of buildings inside a surrounding
wall. Kronborg acquired its current name in 1585 when it was rebuilt by
Frederick II into a magnificent Renaissance castle unique in its appearance
and size throughout Europe.
In 1629, a moment’s carelessness by two workmen caused much of the
castle to go up in flames. Only the Chapel was spared by the strength of
its arches. Christian IV put great efforts into restoring the castle and by
1639 the exterior was once again magnificent, but the interior never fully
regained its former glory.
54
BOB KRIST

From 1739 until the mid-19th century, Kronborg was used as a prison for
slaves. The inmates were guarded by the soldiers billeted in the castle.
The slaves were male convicts who had been sentenced to work on the
castle’s fortifications. The convicts were divided into two categories:
those with minor sentences were categorised as “honest” and were
allowed to work outside the castle walls; those serving sentences for violence,
murder, arson or the like were categorised as “dishonest” and had
to serve the full sentence doing hard physical labour inside the castle.
As Kronborg’s importance as a royal castle diminished, the armed
forces came to play a greater role. From 1785 to 1922, the castle was
completely under military administration. During this period, a number of
renovations were completed.
The castle has for centuries been one of the most important Renaissance
castles in Northern Europe and was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage
Sites list on November 30, 2000.
Louisiana
Date: 1958–2005
Client: Knud W. Jenson
Architect: Wilhem Wohlert & Jergen
Louisiana’s architects are Jørgen Bo and Vilhelm Wohlert, and the building
of the museum in 1958, with its point of departure in the old patrician
villa, was their first major commission. Over the years they have been
responsible for the ongoing expansion of the museum on the basis of the
core idea of the Louisiana: the co-conception of architecture with art and
nature. Claus Wohlert also participated in the expansion of the Graphics
Wing in 1991.
55
NICOLAI PERJESI

The unpretentiousness of Louisiana’s architecture is the first thing that
a visitor to the museum. The main entrance to the old patrician villa
welcomes visitors into an almost homelike atmosphere. The more recent
extensions to the museum spread out on a single plane, close to the
ground, on what could be called ‘the human scale,’ around the park and
down to the Øresund. Louisiana stands today as a masterpiece of Danish
modernist architecture, particularly famous for the way the buildings
unpretentiously add new extensions to the old main building and adapt to
the terrain in the beautiful park landscape with its trees, forest lake, lawns
and the Sound.
Louisiana’s architecture is justifiably renowned for its discreet pavilions
and semi-transparent glass corridors. However, this very closeness
between the inside and outside public area, the exhibitions and the
Sculpture Park, makes huge demands on security and air conditioning—to
an extent that would have been impossible to anticipate when the
museum opened fifty years ago.
Louisiana isn’t just a museum of modern art; it’s a modern museum of
modern art. In order to continue to present the public with the very best
works of the age, it is crucial that the house meets the strictest norms
and requirements applicable today. So from 2003 to 2006 an extensive
modernization was carried out which, without affecting the aesthetic
integrity and lightness of the buildings, has furnished Louisiana with all the
technology appropriate to its activities, and has safeguarded the museum
as a meeting place for people and art far into the twenty-first century.
Fredensborg Houses
Date: 1959–63
Architect: Jørn Utzon
The success of Jørn Utzon’s Kingo Housing Project at Helsingør led to
another for the Dansk Samvirke, a support organization for Danish citizens
who have worked for long periods abroad in business or the foreign
service. The organization wanted a development for retirees who had
returned to Denmark, so that they might live in a community and share
their experiences.
Utzon accepted the task of conceiving the program and designing the
houses, even though no site had been found, and agreed to no fee if
the project was not built. He helped find the site in Fredensborg, North
zealand, and developed a plan that allowed each house to have a view
of and direct access to a green slope. Since there was no comparable
society to this anywhere, Utzon had to invent the details of the project
and make them conform to his idea for the individual houses. One of the
56

things the committee wanted was a center where the residents could
meet, along with a dining room and kitchen, a communal lounge and
party area. Some office space was needed, as well as several guest
rooms for the residents’ guests, which in effect became a small hotel.
In the end, the Fredensborg development was designed with 47 courtyard
and 30 terraced houses. The terraced houses were grouped around
a square in staggered blocks of three, with all entrances from the square.
Fritz Hansen
The visionary cabinet-maker, Fritz Hansen, whose name today is synonymous
with beautiful and original design of supreme quality, founded his
company in Copenhagen on October 24, 1872. Even in the early years,
Fritz Hansen won several prestigious contracts, including the Danish
Parliament at Christiansborg Castle, and Copenhagen City Hall. The first
Danish chair in steam-bent wood was produced by Fritz Hansen in 1915
and became an immediate success that paved the way for a demand for
functional furniture in the decades to come. The teamwork with leading
architects and furniture designers that has characterized Fritz Hansen
ever since began in the 1920s.
Since the beginning of the 1930s, Fritz Hansen has adhered to the philosophy
of manufacturing furniture of the highest quality in every respect
using an industrial production process. Arne Jacobsen joined forces with
Fritz Hansen in 1934, and was catapulted to the stars in 1952 with the
launch of the pressure-moulded veneer chair, the Ant. He was also the
designer behind Series Seven, the biggest success in Danish furniture
history. After that, the Egg and the Swan from 1958, and other design
icons from the 1960s and 1970s, joined the series of epoch-making
furniture from Fritz Hansen, including Piet Hein’s classic from 1968, the
Super-Elliptical Table.
57
EGON GADE © FRITz HANSEN 2008

In 1982, Poul Kjærholm became an indispensable part of Fritz Hansen’s
history when the major part of his world-famous furniture collection was
acquired. Throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and now in the new millennium,
the Fritz Hansen furniture collection has been enriched by a multitude of
designs, more recently the Plano tables by Pelikan Design, the Ice Series
by Kasper Salto, and the Lissoni Lounge Collection by Piero Lissoni.
Morten Voss and Jehns+Laub are the latest designers to join Fritz
Hansen. They have already shown that they respect Fritz Hansen’s traditions
and history, and that they can design beautiful Fritz Hansen furniture
of supreme quality with their personal touch.
Tietgen College
Date: 2005–2006
Client: Nordea Danmark Fonden and Fonden Tietgenkollegiet
Architect: Lundgaard & Tranberg
Lundgaard & Tranberg’s proposal for this structure was chosen In a
closed competition in 2002. The dormitory’s circular form was inspired
by the Hakka’s Tulou Building in southern China. In a tulou, as many as
90 families can live gathered around a square in a circular scheme, which
due to defense considerations has a closed outer façade. As opposed
to this, the dormitory’s 360 units are placed on the outer edge of the
scheme, while the common rooms on each floor are oriented toward the
central square. The entire ground floor is reserved for common facilities.
Each of the seven stories is served by a circular connecting corridor
that should create a common, or “democratic,” condition for all units.
However, this democracy does not apply to solar orientation, as the units
face in all directions. The scheme is subdivided by five openings that connect
the inner court
with the surrounding
corridors, allowing
public access.
The rooms on the
dormitory floors
have varying
depths, which creates
a fine, varied
relief on the curved
facades.
58

Ørestad City
The central part of Ørestad, Ørestad City is a developing area in
Copenhagen, on the island of Amager. The area is being constructed
using the “new town” concept, with the Copenhagen Metro as the
primary public transport grid, connecting the area with the rest of
metropolitan Copenhagen. The city is situated 4.5 km west of
Copenhagen Airport Kastrup, and 5 km south of Copenhagen city
centre. The area is dominated by the Ferring building and the second
largest shopping center in all of Scandinavia: Field’s.
The Signal House
Date: 2006
Architect: Nobek Architects
The Signal House has a central location in Ørestad City, oriented directly
towards the curved canal along Arne Jacobsen Allé. The building is
elevated on a number of concrete elements, allowing the 288 housing
units to appear to hover above the ground.
The building facades are composed of an external transparent screen of
galvanised stretch metal frames that define the building’s outer shape.
Together with the external screen, the coloured facade areas create a
lively, varied structure that adds presence and identity to the building.
The plan concept is based on the ‘four-in-one’ principle, which means
that it is relatively simple to convert four separate units into a single, traditional
one-family dwelling.
59

T. GUNNY HARBOE, AIA
VM-Houses
Date: 1585
Client: Udviklingsselskabet
Architect: Plot
The VM Houses, shaped like a V and an M when seen from above, make
up the first residential project to be built in Ørestaden, a new quarter of
Copenhagen. The growing neighborhood is connected to the center of
the city by the new Metro system
The V House is a manipulated perimeter block that is clearly defined in
its four corners but opened internally and along the sides. The vis-à-vis
with the neighbor is eliminated by the slab in its center, ensuring diagonal
views to the vast open fields all around. The building volume provides
optimal air, light and views to all flats. Balconies jut out like rows of jagged
shark’s teeth on the south side.
60
All apartments have a
double-height space
to the north, and wide
panoramic views to the
south. Access to the
apartments is made
via an exterior walkway
connected to one of the
three stair and elevator
towers, placed at either
end and in the break of
the V, leading to the roof
terraces.
The diagonal slab utilized
in the V house is broken
down in smaller portions
for the M house. In this
project the typology of
the ‘unite d’habitation’ of
Le Corbusier is reinterpreted
and improved: the
central corridors, connecting all floors and apartments, are short and get
light from both ends—like bullet holes penetrating through the building.
Individual terraces are all on the south side of the building. The roof terrace
is reached from the central corridors.
As this was the first residential complex in the area, it was important for
the architects to create an inviting environment. To leave room for life
around the buildings they lifted the V House on five meter-high columns,

opening the courtyard to the park area on the south side, and broke
down the facades with niches and angles, creating a series of informal
meeting places.
Ørestad High School (3XNielsen, 2007)
Date: 2007
Architect: 3XNielsen
Ørestad High School offers fields of study within the physical social
and human sciences. The purpose of the school is to realize the 2005
reforms’ aims to strengthen and renew the students’ professional capabilities,
to prepare the students better for university and to enhance the
science aspect. This school has chosen a profile of media, communication
and culture, with wireless internet all over the school and with laptops
for all students—hence its nickname, the Virtual College.
The building was deliberately formulated without traditional terms for
rooms, and left much to the architects’ interpretation. The proposal was
therefore not so much a response to a specifically defined task as an element
in the necessary development of the idea of a Danish high school.
Four boomerang-shaped story decks rotate in relation to one another
like the shutter of a camera. They form the superstructure, the overall
framework of the school, and provide space for the school’s four study
zones. Each zone is on one level, providing organizational flexibility, with
the option of micro-adjustment to create different spaces, learning environments
and group
sizes. The rotation of
the decks into the high
central hall is the socalled
X-zone. This is
a spatial expression of
the school’s ambition
to promote interdisciplinary
expertise
between study zones
with physical and
visual links.
The decks are open
towards a central
core, where a broad
main staircase winds
its way upwards to
the roof terrace. The
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main staircase is the heart of the school’s educational and social life; the
primary connection up and down, but also a place to stay, watch and
be seen. Three ‘mega columns’ form the primary load-bearing system,
supplemented by a number of smaller columns positioned according to
structural requirements, not as part of a regular grid. As a result, each floor
has few permanent elements and can be laid out and rearranged almost
completely at will.
The superstructure is supplemented by a series of recently-developed
‘room furniture,’ which accommodate the need for the flexible and
temporary room arrangements and learning environments required by
varying group sizes—from one-on-one to an entire cohort.
The rotated decks are mirrored in the facades. Due to their rotation, the
decks create openings of double and triple heights, while drawing lines on
the façade. As a rule, the glass is smooth with the deck fronts, but on each
floor one façade is withdrawn to create an outdoor space. These outdoor
spaces are connected from ground to roof. In front of the glass façades, a
series of colored semi-transparent glass louvers can open or close to protect
from the sun, while adding dashes of color to the indoor environment.
Holmbladsgade
Date: 2003
Architect: Dorte Mandrup
A converted industrial building from the 1880s houses the neighborhood
center’s activities, which include a local library, café and youth school. A
new building has recently been added, to house a meeting hall. With the
conversion of the four-story building, a partial opening of the three lower
decks was carried out creating a high foyer, from which there is access
to the library’s lending desk and, via a spiral stairway and footbridges,
to the building’s other floors. The white-painted, concrete-encased
steel-truss structure that replaced the removed deck areas, combined
with the foyer’s maple-sided interior walls, form a light, spacious and yet
complex space. By the east wall of the old building, the new meeting hall
is obliquely located on a forest of similarly oblique concrete columns,
which lift the addition to the first-floor level. Through the glass façades,
the building’s plywood frame structure is visible as a fine new furnishing
in the densely-built old city quarter. As a whole, the neighborhood
center’s lights and playful architecture provide inspiration for the quarter’s
renewal. The neighborhood center lies facing Jemtelands Plads, where
the paving stretches from one side to the other, and the cross-striped
center area consists of narrow granite pavers in two shades of grey.
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Sports and Cultural Center (Dorte
Mandrup Ark., 2006)
Date: 2006
Architect: Dorte Mandrup
The boldness of this project lies in the simple idea of making a new
kind of crossover building between the traditional typology of the indoor
sports arena and the outdoor sports field. The formal idea of connecting
the new building to four housing blocks seems to suggest that the
building is at once a continuation of the built fabric of the neighborhood—
and as such, an interior space—as well as an outdoor public space. The
polycarbonate skin is a very
unusual feature in Denmark.
Looking at the result, the effort
appears to have been well worth
the effort, since it is the translucent
skin that makes this sport
facility so unique. Normally,
natural light is rare in indoor
sports facilities, where artificial
lighting is most often preferred in
order to secure an even distribution
of light. In this project, the
skin allows for an even distribution
of natural light that gives a
much warmer feel to this space.
This is further enhanced by the
use of wood as part of the
visible structure.
Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts,
School of Architecture
The School of Architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
is one of the world’s oldest schools of architecture. Founded in 1754
as ‘The Royal Danish Painting, Sculpture and Building Academy’, the
academy’s purpose was to educate both artists and craftsmen in the
three disciplines under the same roof. The school is located in Holmen,
a historic area in transformation.
In the 1960s, the school became an independent unit with its own
management and achieved the status of an institution of higher learning,
issuing a diploma equal to a university Master’s degree in architecture,
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while maintaining its artistic and professional status within the Royal
Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
Walk at Holmen
Early in 1996, the East side of Copenhagen Harbor, which for centuries
has been the domain of the Danish Navy, was almost totally opened
to the public, with the exception of a small area on the North side of
Holmen, which is still used by the Royal Danish Navy.
One of the major landmarks on Holmen is the old mast crane, which was
used to raise huge oak masts and place them on ships. The fact that oak
takes about 100–200 years from being planted till it reaches a size which
is suitable for a mast on a warship with sails did not concern the Danish
kings in the eighteenth century. Huge forests were planted in order to
provide the naval shipyards with oak planks and masts. Before the oaks
in these forests reached the right size, however, iron had taken over in
ship building, and the steam engine changed ship design dramatically,
removing the need for oak masts.
Since all the naval vessels were assigned new stations at the naval harbor
in Korsør on the West coast of zealand, one of the main tasks still resting
with the remaining Holmen naval base is maintaining the Danish Royal
Yacht, Dannebrog (named after the Danish flag).
Just south of the naval part of Holmen, the area has been turned into a
cultural and academic concentration of theatres, schools and think tanks
of various kinds. Besides these, the still absolutely usable quays are now
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BENT NæSBY

taken over by the ships of the Ministry of the Environment, as well as the
square rigger Georg Stage, which with its three masts and impressive
presence still lends an atmosphere to Holmen of what used to be the
Naval Harbor.
On January 1, 2005, the new Opera House opened on Holmen. The
Copenhagen Opera House is the solution to the limitations the Royal
Theatre Company had to deal with at the Royal Theater on Kongens
Nytorv. The Opera House is the new venue for opera and ballet, with
state of the art facilities.
Torpedohallen
Date: 1585; 2003
Architect: Vankunsten
The Torpedohallen has co-operative
apartments that were created after
the reconstruction of the former
production hall for torpedo boats.
The types of sustainable solutions
that were applied were the reclamation
of post-industrial areas, retaining
the cubature, the materials and
the structure of the former industrial
buildings, application of construction
materials which are easy to
process, flexible apartments with the possibility of adapting for the needs
of individual users, and retention of water inside the building (a former
pool for launching boats) which provides the inhabitants with contact with
nature.
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CHRISTIAN GEISNæS

CHRISTIAN GEISNæS
Opera
66
The first sod of earth in the
construction project was lifted
in June 2001, and on October
1, 2004, the completed opera
and ballet house was formally
handed over to the Danish
prime minister, Anders Fogh
Rasmussen, by shipping magnate
Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller,
as a gift to the Danish people.
The Royal Theatre then took
over responsibility for running the
house.
The Opera House was officially
inaugurated on 15 January 2005.
Thirty-five hundred enthusiastic
workers, consultants and
experts spent a total of 2.4
million hours working on the
opera project. 61,600 tons of
concrete and 4,700 tons of steel reinforcements were used. The 4,900
square meter facade is clad with 11,207 pieces of Jura Gelb, a calciferous
stone from North Germany. The entire site and all the quaysides have
been paved with Chinese granite. 364 cubic meters of maple and 25,683
square meters of stained maple veneer cover the foyer and hall. 1,450
windows provide exceptional light. The floating roof is 90 meters wide
and 158 meters long. The roof has a 32-metre long overhang above the
five-story glass façade facing the waterfront.
With 41,000 square meters and more than 1,100 rooms, the Opera House
is one of Denmark’s largest and most innovative buildings. The theatre
guests will see the 7,000 square meters of the foyer and auditorium, while
a further 12,000 square meters is divided between five underground
stories. 34,000 square meters is reserved for artists and other staff.

Royal Danish Playhouse
Date: 1872–74/1929–31/1983–85/2002
Client: The National Government (Ministry of Culture)
Architect: Vilhelm Dahlerup & Ove Petersen, Holger Jacobsen, Nils
Koppel og Knud Holsher & Svend Axelsson, Erik Mollers Tegnestue
The new Royal Danish Playhouse, located on the harbor front in
Copenhagen, takes as its form a pronounced, yet respectful completion
of the surrounding urban structure. The theatre embraces the harbor, is
open to theatergoers as well as those passing by, and is the new pivot
point in the passage along the waterfront.
The building complex consists of three compositional elements: the
foyer, a broad “sidewalk” floating on thin columns over the water, the
auditorium and scene tower, clad in copper, and the service area, placed
in an expansive and unifying roof level, clad in glass.
These three elements form a charged, geometric composition that completes
the surrounding urban structure, opens the city to the harbor, and
disposes the theatre as an experientially rich, well-functioning “theatremachine,”
whose purpose is to create optimal conditions for the meeting
of the public and the theatrical spectacle.
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JØRGEN SCHYTTE

More detailed site descriptions can be found in the
following publications:
Christiansen, Jørgen Hegner and Sestoft, Jørgen. Guide to Danish
Architecture 1 1000–1960. Copenhagen: Arkitektens Forlag/ The Danish
Architectural Press, 1995.
Dirkinck-Holmfeld, Kim. Guide to Danish Architecture 2 1960–1995.
Copenhagen: Arkitektens Forlag/ The Danish Architectural Press, 1995.
Lind, Olaf and Lund, Annemarie. Copenhagen Architecture Guide.
Copenhagen: Arkitektens Forlag/ The Danish Architectural Press, 1996,
2001, revised edition 2005.
Lind, Olaf and Lund, Annemarie. TOP 50 Copenhagen Architecture.
Copenhagen: Arkitektens Forlag/ The Danish Architectural Press, 2007.
Graphic Design
Albert Kahn Assoc. Inc.
Finzel Design
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Ideas & Inspirations
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Ideas & Inspirations
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The Roots of Modernism and Beyond
In 2009, the COD theme will be “The Roots of Modernism and Beyond”;
we will learn from two “in-the-field” conferences which explore issues
on the culture of design and explore the ways in which we as architects
can have a role in being leaders of design rather than followers. Both AIA
COD 2009 Conferences (Boston, MA and Berlin, Germany) will explore
the roots of Modernism and the impact of this architectural revolution
on contemporary design. The goal is to learn from design-conscious
institutions, including the Bauhaus in Dessau, Germany and the Harvard
Graduate School of Design and MIT in Cambridge, MA, where good
design is the bed-rock of architectural education, to better our understanding
of design excellence and its responsiveness to the users.
Boston, MA Spring 09
In the spring of 2009, the Committee on Design (with co-sponsors COTE
and HRC) will sponsor a conference in Boston, MA, whose heritage
includes the Harvard GSD and the MIT School of Architecture & Planning,
where early modern design found its American roots. The goal of this
conference will be to debate the early successes and failures of the
Modern Movement, consider its impact on contemporary design and discuss
the uncertain future of many of the Mid-Century Modern examples
of Modern Architecture that are threatened with demolition, including
one of the most visible modern icons, Boston City Hall. We will also
be looking at representative work of many of the world’s greatest early
modern masters such as Gropius, Sert, Corbusier, Aalto & Saarinen as
well as contemporary design leaders including Holl, Gehry, Pei, Polshek,
Behnisch, KMW and Diller/Scofidio/Renfro.
Berlin, Germany Fall 09
In early fall of 2009, the Committee on Design (with co-sponsors HRC,
COTE, and AIACE) will sponsor a conference in Berlin, Germany to continue
the dialogue on early modernism and its roots in Europe, particularly
at the Bauhaus. Since the re-unification of Germany in 1990 and the subsequent
decision to return the Capitol to Berlin, the city has been one of
the most exciting centers of architecture and urban planning in the world.
We will begin with a visit to the Bauhaus to view the current school
along with its restored Master’s Houses; Dessau also offers a wonderful
landscape design at Worlitz. With its early modern influences, its 1960’s
& 70’s avant-garde efforts and its rebuilding since the wall came down,
the city offers an unparallel composite of architecture and urban design
unlike any city on earth.
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