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Factsheet Denmark
ARCHITECTURE
During the 1990s, Danish architecture KHR’s building for Kommunedata in Bal- different ways based on the Modernist tra-
was increasingly oriented towards the Neo- lerup from 2002, NNE’s Novo Seven dition, which is so strong in Denmark. A
Modernism which was dominant interna- Manufacturing Facility in Hillerød from related treatment of form is seen on a
tionally at the time, and at the start of the 2002 and Dissing+Weitling’s Struers head- smaller scale, for instance in the main
21st century, it still has a strong hold on quarters in Ballerup from 2004. Another entrance to the Zoo from 1998 by the firm
Danish architecture. trend involves conceptual simplification of of architects Entasis.
Both building forms and room layouts form as in Schmidt Hammer Lassen’s The Modernist approach to building
can be either severe and calm or highly ARoS Aarhus Museum of Art from 2004. projects is often supplemented with new
dynamic, as for instance in Vilhelm Lau- A more poetic interpretation is also some- features, including increased use of coloured
ritzen’s Terminal 3 in Copenhagen Air- times seen, for instance in Tårnby Court- elements, as in C.F. Møller Architects’ res-
port, Kastrup, from 1998. house from 2000 by Dorte Mandrup and idential development Nordlyset at Ameri-
The most immediately obvious com- Niels Fuglsang. Finally, many buildings, ka Plads in Copenhagen from 2006, and a
mon feature is the often sophisticated use especially blocks of flats, are clearly shutter motif which adds movement to
of Modernist materials: steel and glass, inspired by 1930s Functionalism. severely drawn facades, as in the FIH head-
but also wood, natural stone and brick are The most recent and largest prestige quarters at the Langelinie quay in Copen-
common facade materials. building projects in the capital, the Opera hagen, built by 3xNielsen in 2001.
Neo-Modernism seems to follow sever- House from 2004 by Henning Larsen and A new trend, the so-called Pragmatism,
al trends. One is the minimalist treatment the Playhouse from 2008 by Boye Lund- has emerged in recent years. This takes an
of building volumes and surfaces, as in gaard and Lene Tranberg, are also in their extremely unconventional approach to the
Danes abroad – Athens and Vienna: The broth- Athens University (1850). His brother succeeded
ers Christian Hansen (1803-83) and Theophilus him and built Athens Observatory (1846) and
Hansen (1813-91) both obtained several commis- later the Academy of Sciences (1887) and the
sions for monumental buildings in Athens and National Library (1892). In 1846 Theophilus
Vienna. They were masters of the Historicism of Hansen settled in Vienna, where his buildings
the period, which they primarily interpreted in include the Musikverein concert hall (1869), the
Classicist, Byzantine and Renaissance style. Stock Exchange (1877) and the Parliament build-
Christian Hansen was Royal Architect in Greece ing (1884). – The Parliament building in Vienna.
1834-1843 and was entrusted with building Photo: Peter Korrak.
projects and re-interprets the assumptions have been found through excavations of style. In rural parishes, the Gothic style
of architecture in a provocative way. With the Viking Age military encampments of mainly manifested itself in alterations and
projects such as the VM houses in Øresta- Trelleborg, Aggersborg and Fyrkat from extensions of the Romanesque churches,
den from 2005, Plot has become the advo- around 1000 AD. Within large circular such as the characteristic stepped gables.
cate of a new approach to architecture. earthen ramparts, these fortresses were
High-rise development is a new phe- laid out on the basis of a cruciform, sym- Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo
nomenon, which has been received hesi- metrical grid of streets, whose main axes During the Renaissance, Danish architec-
tantly in Denmark. However, high-rise divided the complexes into smaller units. ture was dominated by the building of
buildings are currently planned in several The conversion of Denmark to Christ- manor houses such as the 16th century
cities across the country, while Copen- ianity around 960 introduced a new build- Hesselagergaard and Egeskov, both on
hagen is starting cautiously in peripheral ing culture: church building. The first Funen. Among the Royal buildings of the
areas with the 21-storey Ferring Inter- churches were built of wood, but quite period, Kronborg Castle was completed
national Centre in Ørestaden, built by soon these were superseded by Roma- by Antonius van Opbergen in 1585 as a
Henning Larsen in 2001, and the 16- nesque stone churches. In the early 12th four-winged complex, while Frederiksborg
storey Copper Tower in Copenhagen’s century, ambitious cathedral building Castle from 1602-1620 by the Flemish
North Harbour, built by Arkitema in 2004. projects were started in Lund, Viborg and Hans van Steenwinckel the Elder was
A characteristic feature around 2000 Ribe. The village churches usually had a three-winged with a fourth, lower, terrace
was Danish architects’ increasingly strong single aisle and choir, like Hover Church, wing. In both castles, the architectural
position in major projects. Dissing+Weit- and sometimes an apse. Regional charac- look itself, the decorative finish, was in
ling started this trend as architects of the teristics might appear, such as the round the preferred Dutch Renaissance style
East Bridge of the Great Belt Link in churches on Bornholm. with lavish sandstone ornamentation on a
1998, while KHR is responsible for the Roskilde Cathedral was started in the red brick background.
most recent project so far, the Copenhagen 1170s as one of Denmark’s first brick King Christian IV’s extensive building
Metro development in 2002. buildings. It is an early Danish example of programme included many different pro-
the Gothic style, while St Knud’s Church jects, from the Stock Exchange (1619-
The Viking Age and Middle Ages in Odense, completed at the end of the 1640) through the Round Tower (1637-
The earliest traces of Danish architecture 15th century, represents the High Gothic 1642), both in Copenhagen, to the con-
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Danes abroad – Altona: In 1784, Carl Frederik own house (1804) and Baur’s House (1805). He
Hansen was appointed national master builder also built country houses such as Cesar Godef-
in Holstein, then part of the Danish realm. froy’s (1792) on Elbchaussée. The simple, strong
However, the income from the position was Classicism of the houses with their smooth wall
modest, so he supplemented it with private surfaces, plain details and strong pillars fully
commissions, especially for the wealthy mer- demonstrate the talent which was to make him
chants in Hamburg. Hansen built several houses the foremost architect of the period. – Carl
and country houses in Altona, especially on the Frederik Hansen’s own house on the Palmaille
fashionable Palmaille promenade, including his promenade in Altona. Photo: Lars Nicolai Bock.
The round structure of the Tietgen Hall of struction of new towns such as Christian- mainly the leading architects of the next
Residence in Ørestaden, Copenhagen, built in stad (1614) and new districts such as Chri- generation, Lauritz de Thurah and Nicolai
2005 by Lundgaard & Tranberg, is inspired by
stianshavn (1618) and Nyboder (started Eigtved, who made their mark on the inte-
the Chinese Haga people’s shared housing.
Photo: Jens Lindhe. 1631), both in Copenhagen. riors of the palace.
The Baroque style influenced Danish Nicolai Eigtved became the main advo-
The VM houses in Ørestaden, Copenhagen, built architecture from modest town houses to cate of the Rococo style in Denmark. His
in 2005 by Plot, represent a new generation’s
concept of architecture. Photo: Johan Fowelin.
Royal building projects, from city palaces principal achievement was the laying-out
such as Charlottenborg on Kongens Ny- of the Frederiksstad in Copenhagen in
Ferring International Centre, built in 2001 by torv in Copenhagen (started 1672) to 1749. This quarter was organised around
Henning Larsen, is the first of several high-rise
country houses such as Ledreborg by Lau- the octagonal square surrounded by the
buildings planned for Ørestaden, Copenhagen.
Photo: Henning Larsens Architects. ritz de Thurah from the 1740s. four Amalienborg palaces. For the town-
The main Danish Baroque buildings houses, he produced type designs in his
The Metro stations in Copenhagen, built in 2002 include the Church of Our Saviour (Vor characteristic, discreet pilaster strip and
by KHR, emphasise minimalism, robustness and
light. Photo: KHR.
Frelsers Kirke) in Copenhagen from 1682- recessed style with delicate relief effects.
1696 by Lambert van Haven, Fredensborg
Hover Church near Ringkøbing is built of granite Palace from 1722 by Johan Cornelius Classicism and Historicism
ashlars and is a characteristic example of a sim-
Krieger and the later Christiansborg Palace, After Eigtved’s death in 1754, another
ple, Romanesque village church. Photo: Simon
Ladefoged. started in 1730 by the German architect architect had to continue the work on the
Elias David Häusser. It was, however, main monument of the Frederiksstad, the
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Danes abroad – Rome: The Danish Academy in tion to Danish brick was not impeded by the
Rome was completed in 1965. The main force Roman setting. Everything is dominated by the
behind the project, Kay Fisker (1893-1965), did texture of yellow brick and the outside areas are
not live to see the final result, but the building, likewise paved with yellow tiles. The heart of the
which he designed initially with Robert Duelund building is the double-height library room with a
Mortensen and later with Svend Høgsbro, is balcony all the way round. – The Danish Institute
characteristic of his work. The Academy appears in Rome. Photo: Søren Lose.
as a collection of clear-cut, cubist shapes with
clean, smooth surfaces. Fisker’s life-long devo-
took projects ranging from Fredensborg building projects. He also exerted great
Palace (1722) through Vartov (1729) to pat- influence on Danish building as both Chief
tern drawings for Copenhagen gable attic Building Director and Director of the Royal
houses after the fire in the city in 1728. Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
was pushed aside by the introduction of the into late Classicism, which frequently drew
Rococo in Denmark. As chief master builder on historical styles, for instance in St Ansgar
from 1754, he unsuccessfully attempted to Church with its brick masonry walls from
finish the Frederik Church (Frederikskirken). 1841 and Neo-Gothic manor houses.
Nicolai Eigtved (1701-1754) was the leading Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll (1800-1856)
Rococo architect in Denmark. His contribu- was one of the leading representatives of
tion to the interiors of Christiansborg Palace late Classicism. He worked freely within sev-
in the 1730s-1740s and his rebuilding of the eral styles, including his Pompeii-inspired
Prince’s Palace in 1744 established the ideal major work Thorvaldsen’s Museum (1848)
Painting: Constantin Hansen
for Danish Rococo rooms. Eigtved’s main and the Gothic Hobro Church (1850). The
Picture not available
work was, however, the Frederiksstad quar- plain, sober approach characteristic of Oringe
ter with the Amalienborg palaces and the Hospital (1857) and the Danish Medical
Frederik Church, although he did not live to Association Houses (1853) was no less origi-
complete them. nal at the time.
Nicolas-Henri Jardin (1720-1799) came to Johan Daniel Herholdt (1818-1902) was the
Copenhagen from France in 1754 to take leading representative of the national trend
charge of the building of the Frederik in the late 19th century. He created a num-
Church, but his Piranesi-inspired style was ber of buildings reflecting his focus on brick
met with scepticism in Denmark. architecture, the use of modern iron struc-
Nonetheless, he facilitated the break- tures and inspiration from Danish and Italian
Painting: Unknown
he left the country in 1771, he left behind including Copenhagen Central Station (1864,
partly a number of well-trained students, now demolished) and the National Bank
partly several influential buildings. (1870, now demolished).
Caspar Frederik Harsdorff (1735-1799) was Martin Nyrop (1849-1921) was a follower of
Denmark’s leading Classicist architect in the Herholdt. He was a leading figure within the
late 18th century. He was responsible most- National Romantic trend, where he empha-
ly for rebuildings, such as Fredensborg sised a high standard of craftsmanship in
Palace and Frederiksberg Castle, but both stone and wood and historically
through these and his professorship at the inspired, personal and imaginative interpre-
Picture not available
Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, he had tation, as seen in Vallekilde High School
great influence, especially on the extensive (1884) or the Elias Church (1908), which was
middle-class building activity after the fires inspired by the medieval twin towers.
in Copenhagen in 1795 and 1807.
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Danes abroad – Oxford: In his later years, Den- traditional type of building. A undisguised con-
mark’s unchallenged Modernist, Arne Jacobsen crete skeleton with glass facades outlines the
(1902-71), was frequently commissioned by for- structure and is supplemented with yellow brick
eign developers, including several in Germany. In surfaces. The same materials dominate the inte-
Oxford, he built St Catherine’s College (1964) as rior, which was equipped with furniture and fit-
a monumental and axial structure. The buildings tings designed by Jacobsen himself. – St Cath-
were given the severe shapes of cool Modernism erine’s College in Oxford. Photo: Knud Holscher
and made of the most modern materials, for Design.
many a surprisingly contemporary response to a
Ferdinand Meldahl (1827-1908) was the Christian Frederik Møller (1898-1988) for
leading representative of the Historicist many years worked closely with Kay Fisker,
European trend, which took its inspiration for instance on Aarhus University. Their
from the historical Gothic, Renaissance and regional interpretation of Functionalism with
(1865). He exerted great influence through works, especially in Jutland, such as the
numerous buildings and many years as pro- Fourth of May Hall of Residence in Århus
fessor and Director at the Royal Danish (1949).
Academy of Fine Arts.
Hack Kampmann (1856-1920) for many Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971) was for several
years worked in the National-Romantic years the leading figure in Danish architec-
style, where truth to materials and artistic ture. In the 1930s, he created Functionalist
decoration were prominent features, for major works with an international touch
instance in the Provincial Archive in Viborg such as the Bellevue area as well as Stel-
Photo: Arkitektens Forlag
Carl Petersen (1874-1923) pioneered Neo- Jørn Utzon (born 1918) belongs to the organ-
Classicism. The small, but monumental ic trend within Modernism with buildings
street facade of Fåborg Museum (1913) and such as his major work Sydney Opera House
the colourful exhibition space established a (1966) and the later Bagsværd Church (1976)
new direction for architecture. His attention with its wavy concrete roof. In courtyard res-
Photo: Arkitektens Forlag
to surfaces, textures and colours, all influ- idential estates such as Kingohusene (1960),
enced by his ceramic work, also influenced he merged rows of houses into the land-
the next generation of Neo-Classical archi- scape and at the same time introduced new
tects. models for private and common areas.
Kay Fisker (1893-1965) was one of the lead- Jørgen Bo (born 1919) and Vilhelm Wohlert
ing architects from around 1920. In his early (1920-2007) designed an exceptionally
years, he worked in a Neo-Classical style groundbreaking building in Denmark: the
and especially his blocks of houses were Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (1958) in
pioneering with their simple, severe form, Humlebæk. From a Modernist starting point,
Photo: Arkitektens Forlag
such as Hornbækhus (1922). He later con- they created an informal group of buildings
tinued similar characteristics within merging into the landscape. Enclosed exhibi-
Functionalism, where he among other tion spaces were linked by long passages
things refined the balcony and bay window whose glass facades allowed interior and
house as a type. exterior space, nature and art to interact.
Mogens Lassen (1901-1987) was one of the Fællestegnestuen (established 1961) with
pioneers of international Functionalism in Tyge Arnfred, Viggo Møller-Jensen and Jørn
Denmark with for instance Gentofte Bad- Ole Sørensen in the 1960s introduced a
minton Hall (1936). His ideal was the build- completely new use of concrete element
ings of Le Corbusier, which his pure Cubist construction in Albertslund Syd, a dense low
Photo: Arkitektens Forlag
style follows quite closely. He also took on development consisting mainly of courtyard
the modern material of the time, reinforced and terrace houses. Here, as in later pro-
concrete, often in close collaboration with jects, the company focused on improved
the engineer Ernst Ishøy, for instance in the housing, for instance in Farum Midtpunkt
System House in Ordrup (1937). (1974) and Solbjerghave (1980).
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Danes abroad – Sydney: In 1957, Jørn Utzon out over the harbour. On a plateau, Utzon’s large
(born 1918) won the competition for a new opera concrete shells rise to a height of 60 metres. The
house in Sydney. It was built in 1959-1973, but in characteristic shells, which were clad with white
1966 Utzon chose to withdraw from the project. ceramic tiles, look like white sails and the opera
The exterior of the building was completed in house soon became Sydney’s landmark.
accordance with Utzon’s plans, but the interior – Sydney Opera House. Photo: Sydney Opera
was changed. The shape of Sydney Opera House House Trust.
reflects Utzon’s organic approach to architec-
ture. The building is placed on a site reaching
Johan Cornelius Krieger began the reconstruc- Cathedral from 1778 and the colonnade styles. Buildings were now designed with
tion of the main building of the country house
Ledreborg, Lejre in 1743 and Lauritz de Thurah
by Amalienborg in 1794. In 1779-1780, both plastered and brick masonry walls,
rebuilt the cour d’honneur in 1748. Photo: Led- he built the town house 3-5 Kongens for instance Gustav Friedrich Hetsch’s yel-
reborg Castle. Nytorv, which became the new model for low brick synagogue in Krystalgade from
Copenhagen town houses at the time. 1833 and Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll’s
After his death, the chief proponent of Thorvaldsen’s Museum with its poly-
Frederik Church (Frederikskirken). This Classicism was Christian Frederik Hansen. chrome plaster facades from 1848, both in
was entrusted to the French architect The ideal developed towards a consider- Copenhagen.
Nicolas-Henri Jardin, who introduced the ably more severe classical style dominated The second half of the 19th century was
latest architectural style, Neo-Classicism, by clean, simple forms and large, unbro- the age of Historicism. Two main trends
to Denmark. However, he did not manage ken surfaces. From 1800, Christian Fre- can be distinguished. The national trend
to complete the Frederik Church either. derik Hansen was in charge of all major attached importance to high standards of
Before leaving the country, Jardin also building projects in Copenhagen, includ- craftsmanship as well as truth and honesty
built, for instance, the Bernstorff Palace ing the City Hall and Courthouse on to materials, as demonstrated in Johan
in1765 and the town house 18 Amalie- Nytorv from 1816, the Church of Our Daniel Herholdt’s pioneering University
gade (the Yellow Palace) in 1764. One of Lady (Vor Frue Kirke) in 1826 and the Library in Fiolstræde in Copenhagen from
Jardin’s pupils was Caspar Frederik Hars- new Christiansborg Palace from 1829. 1861. This trend later developed into
dorff, the country’s leading architect in In the 1830s, the Antique ideal was National Romanticism, which found its
the late 18th century, whose projects beginning to give way to Late Classicism’s main expression in Copenhagen City Hall
included Frederik V’s chapel in Roskilde more free interpretation of historical from 1905, built by Martin Nyrop.
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Danes abroad – Trondheim and Riyadh: In the (1984), a severely Classicist idiom interpret the
final decades of the 20th century, various Danish Arabic architectural culture in a modern way,
architects undertook a range of building projects again with internal streets and, among other
abroad. One of the most important is Henning things careful attention to light conditions. The
Larsen (born 1925). The Structuralist buildings of slightly later Danish Embassy in Riyadh (1988) is
Trondheim University (1978) allow for expansion a smaller building with a similar architectonic
and the internal three-storey glass-covered approach. – The Foreign Office in Riyadh. Photo:
streets act as a fulcrum. Larsen has completed Henning Larsen Architects.
two projects in Riyadh. In the Foreign Office
The second trend was more interna- um from 1913. The trend put ideals such
tional and worked with a broader spec- as symmetry, regularity and rhythmical
trum of historical inspiration. Ferdinand repetition on the agenda. Neo-Classicism
Meldahl was its leading representative influenced, for instance, the building of
and, incidentally, the architect who finally flats in Copenhagen, such as Kay Fisker’s
completed the Frederik Church in 1894 block of flats Hornbækhus in Copen-
after almost 250 years. hagen from 1923. A special monument of
the time is Hack Kampmann’s Copen-
First half of the 20th century hagen Police Headquarters from 1924,
A change occurred in the first decades of powerful, simple and inward-looking on
the 20th century, when the decorative and the outside and monumental in its open
historical motifs seen, for instance, in the courtyard inside.
Neo-Baroque and even the Art Nouveau The transition from Neo-Classicism to
style, gradually gave way to a new func- Functionalism happened around 1930.
tionality, which around 1920 merged into The ideal was rational and functional
a Classicist trend. Earlier in the century, architecture, preferably with a social objec-
the Council for Design Assistance had been tive. The new materials, concrete, iron and
established by the Society of Academic glass, were to be combined in constructive-
Architects in 1907 and the Better Archi- ly honest building volumes. Major exam-
tectural Design Association in 1915. Their ples of international Functionalism in
aim was to provide guidance to the popu- Den-mark include Frits Schlegel’s single-
lation, so that good and healthy family family house at 17 Bernstorffsvej from
houses, in keeping with the Danish archi- 1931, Mogens Lassen’s single-family hous-
tectural tradition, would be built all over es at 5-11 Sølystvej from 1936 and 1938
the country. and Arne Jacobsen’s Bellavista block of
20th century Neo-Classicism was inau- flats from 1934, all north of Copenhagen.
gurated by Carl Petersen’s Fåborg Muse- This co-existed with a more traditional
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Danes abroad – Düsseldorf and Baghdad: For National Bank (1985). The minimalist building is
many years, Dissing+Weitling’s most frequent simultaneously dominated by abstract and
projects abroad have been in Germany. Kunst- regional characteristics. The shape is a very
sammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen (1986) in large, white and closed marble cube with a few
Düsseldorf is late-Modernist architecture, where facade shifts and slits in the walls. Like the local
the polished granite of the curved facade and its houses, the bank is turned inwards towards a
associated mirror effects virtually dissolve the large, covered courtyard. – Kunstsammlung
weight of the building. Dissing+Weitling’s Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf. Photo: Dis-
Modernist inheritance is also obvious in Iraq’s sing+Weitling.
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Danes abroad – Manama and Seville: In 1988, tributed the Danish pavilion at the world fair
Krohn & Hartvig Rasmussen, now KHR, complet- Expo ’92. The pavilion was shaped as large full
ed the building of Bahrain’s National Museum in sails curving towards a vertical disc. The task
Manama. The museum combines Arabic building was solved in a simple, poetic way through the
style and Modernist features in the diagonally sails, which are the main motif of the building.
placed square building corpuses, the clear-cut – Denmark’s Pavillion in Seville 1992. Photo:
closed facades, the pierced filigree pattern pro- KHR.
tecting against the sun and details inspired by
the local architecture. In Seville, KHR con-
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Danes abroad – Paris: In 1983, Johan Otto von rests on a plateau, which acts as a staircase. The
Spreckelsen (1929-87) won the international open ’window’ in the cube is only broken by a
competition for the Parisian suburb La Défense delicate lift tower and suspended ’clouds’. The
with his proposal for the Arch of Humanity, a cube is situated on the historical axis of Paris, in
large open cube measuring approx. 105 x 105 exact continuation of Arc de Triomphe, and is a
metres. The arch was completed in 1989 and uniquely simple solution to a complicated monu-
houses offices in its sides as well as exhibition mental commission. – La Défense in Paris.
and conference spaces in its roof. The late- Photo: grandearche.com
Modernist cube is clad with white marble and
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Architecture
Factsheet Denmark. Published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Translation: Siri Fischer Hansen.
of Denmark. Design: Ole Jensen - ojdesign.
Address: Asiatisk Plads 2, DK-1448 Copenhagen K, Denmark. Reproduction of the text, with or without
Telephone: +45 33 92 00 00. Fax: +45 32 54 05 33. acknowledgement, is permitted.
E-mail: um@um.dk. Website: www.um.dk. Published January 2008.
Editor: Flemming Axmark.
Picture editor: Kirstine Fryd. ISBN 978-87-7667-828-9
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