Water, space and light. Those are the key elements of the recent architectural boom in Copenhagen.
During the last decade, celebrated architects such as Sir Norman Foster, Henning Larsen, Jean Nouvel and Daniel Libeskind have all left their mark on the Danish capital. And today they can leave their mark on your next event as well.
Copenhagen Opera House
Opened in January 2005, the Opera House commands a site directly over the water from Amalienborg Palace, the home of the Danish royal family. The Opera House's five-storey glass facade bulges beneath an enormous 158 metre-long cantilevered roof 32 metres of which is pure overhang. As well as a hi-tech auditorium that seats 1400 people and subterranean rehearsal room cum recording studio 50m below sea-level, the opera house's foyer plays host to some exquisite artwork including four bronze reliefs by Per Kirkeby and three light sculptures by Olafur Eliasson.
Copenhagen Opera House
Royal Danish Playhouse
On the opposite bank of the same canal lies The Royal Danish Playhouse. Boje Lundgaard and Lene Tranberg, senior partners at C.F. Møller Architects, won the international competition with their design which provides two theatres - the larger of which seats 750 while its smaller sibling seats 275 - a restaurant and a generous public space that extends to the waterfront and commands views over Copenhagen's shipping canal.
Royal Danish Playhouse
Radisson SAS Royal Hotel
Although Arne Jakobsen's SAS Royal Hotel was completed in 1960, it deserves to take its place in any consideration of new architecture simply because Jakobsen is considered to be the godfather of Danish design. Any modern architectural pilgrimage to Copenhagen should include a visit to room 606, which is maintained as a shrine to its designer, featuring the original furniture and fittings. And in the hotel restaurant Alberto K on the 20th floor you will still be dining with Jakobsen's space-age cutlery, which was used in the film ‘2001 - A Space Odyssey.'
Radisson SAS Royal Hotel
The Danish Architecture Centre
The mission the Danish Architecture Centre (DAC) is to discover and disseminate innovative work in architecture and construction that will have an impact on global planning. It is therefore a must for anybody interested in the future of architecture and urban planning. Furthermore, DAC lies in a beautiful, newly-renovated warehouse in Christian Harbour with a waterfront view. It offers rooms for anything from small training courses to major sales drives and conferences.
The Danish Architecture Centre
The Danish Design Center
The strategic focus of the Danish Design Center (DDC) is to promote the use of design in Danish companies. Each year, the DDC stages eight large and six smaller exhibitions featuring Danish and international design. In January 2000 the DDC moved to its current address, a purpose-built domicile on HC Andersens Boulevard in the heart of Copenhagen, designed by Professor Henning Larsen. With a view to the Tivoli Gardens, the DAC offers facilities for conferences, gala dinners, product launches, displays and receptions.
The Danish Design Centre