Copenhagen - American Institute of Architects

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