copenhagenbycosedis, Sølvgade 20, Copenhagen (2026)

28/07/2026

The Kitchen Garden at Fredensborg Palace reflects a tradition that stretches back to the palace’s construction in the early eighteenth century. Originally established to supply the royal household with fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers, it formed an essential part of the estate’s daily operation while also demonstrating the careful planning that characterised Baroque landscapes.

Today, the historic kitchen garden has been restored with respect for its original structure while adapting to modern cultivation methods. Neatly arranged planting beds, greenhouses and orchards continue the site’s horticultural tradition, combining historical heritage with sustainable food production. Although practical in purpose, the garden also illustrates how architecture, landscape design and agriculture were closely integrated in the planning of Denmark’s royal estates, making it an important part of Fredensborg Palace’s cultural and architectural history.

28/07/2026

Fredensborg Palace, located on the eastern shore of Lake Esrum north of Copenhagen, is one of Denmark’s most significant royal residences and remains in active use by the Danish Royal Family. Commissioned by King Frederik IV after the Great Northern War, the palace was constructed between 1720 and 1726. Its name, meaning “Peace Castle”, commemorates the end of the conflict and reflects the period’s ambition to express stability and royal authority through architecture.

The palace is regarded as one of the country’s finest examples of early eighteenth century Baroque architecture. The original design by Johan Cornelius Krieger combines a restrained yet monumental composition with a symmetrical layout centred on an octagonal courtyard. Later alterations, particularly by Nicolai Eigtved during the eighteenth century, introduced Rococo interiors while preserving the overall Baroque structure. This combination of architectural styles illustrates the gradual evolution of Danish court architecture across the century.

Equally important are the extensive palace gardens, which rank among Denmark’s most distinguished historic landscapes. Designed in the French Baroque tradition with formal avenues, terraces and geometric planting, the gardens were later expanded with more naturalistic elements inspired by the English landscape movement. The renowned Valley of the Norsemen, featuring an impressive collection of sandstone sculptures, further reinforces the estate’s artistic and cultural significance.

Today, Fredensborg Palace continues to serve both ceremonial and residential purposes. State visits, official receptions and royal family gatherings are regularly held here, making the palace not only an important architectural landmark but also a living institution that connects Denmark’s historical monarchy with its present day constitutional role.

26/07/2026

The SAS Royal Hotel, today known as the Radisson Collection Royal Hotel, is one of the most influential buildings in Danish architectural history. Designed by Arne Jacobsen and completed in 1960, it was conceived as both a luxury hotel and an air terminal for Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). Rising 22 storeys above Vesterbrogade beside Copenhagen Central Station and Tivoli Gardens, it became Copenhagen’s first high rise and is widely regarded as Denmark’s first skyscraper.

The building is considered one of the finest examples of post war modernism in Denmark. Its elegant curtain wall façade, strict geometric form, and minimalist expression reflected the international architectural ideals of the period. Arne Jacobsen also designed almost every element of the interior, from furniture and lighting to textiles, cutlery, door handles, and signage, creating one of the world’s earliest examples of a complete architectural “total design”. It was for this project that he created the now iconic Egg and Swan chairs, both of which have since become internationally recognised classics of Danish design.

Although many interiors have changed over the decades, Room 606 has been carefully preserved as a rare example of Jacobsen’s original vision. In 2024, the building was officially listed as a protected monument, recognising its outstanding architectural and cultural significance. More than six decades after its completion, the former SAS Royal Hotel remains one of Copenhagen’s defining landmarks and a milestone in the history of modern architecture.

If you would like to explore the building in greater depth, my publisher, Strandberg Publishing, has released the beautifully illustrated book Room 606: The SAS House and the Work of Arne Jacobsen by architect Michael Sheridan. Focusing on the only preserved original hotel room, it offers a detailed look at the architecture, interiors, and design philosophy behind one of Arne Jacobsen’s most celebrated works.

26/07/2026

This part of Nørrebro is one of my absolute favourite areas in the district. Seen from above, the neighbourhood around Nørrebrogade, Elmegade, Birkegade, Egegade, and Guldbergsgade reveals a remarkably cohesive urban landscape shaped during Copenhagen’s rapid expansion in the late nineteenth century.

Most of the surrounding buildings were constructed between the 1880s and the early twentieth century, when Nørrebro developed into one of Copenhagen’s largest working class neighbourhoods. The area is characterised by continuous perimeter blocks of five and six storey brick apartment buildings, many featuring decorated façades, corner buildings with distinctive architectural details, and enclosed courtyards that reflect the planning ideals of the period. Despite many later renovations, the original street pattern and urban structure remain largely unchanged.

Today, the neighbourhood combines its historic architecture with a vibrant mix of independent shops, cafés, restaurants, and local businesses. From the air, the dense street grid, mature trees, and varied roofscape illustrate how nineteenth century urban planning continues to define the character of this part of Copenhagen, where historic architecture and everyday city life remain closely connected.

26/07/2026

The former Copenhagen Municipal Hospital, known in Danish as Kommunehospitalet, was one of the city’s most important public institutions for more than 130 years. Designed by architect Christian Hansen and constructed between 1859 and 1863, it was built in response to the devastating cholera epidemic of 1853, which exposed the need for a larger and more modern hospital outside Copenhagen’s former fortifications. When it opened in 1863, it was Denmark’s largest and most advanced hospital, accommodating around 850 patients.

Architecturally, the complex is one of the finest examples of Neo Byzantine architecture in Denmark. Its symmetrical layout, centred on a distinctive copper domed main building, combines yellow brick with red decorative bands, vaulted arcades, and spacious courtyards. The design reflected nineteenth century ideas about hygiene, daylight, fresh air, and efficient hospital planning, with separate wings connected by carefully organised circulation routes.

Kommunehospitalet served as a municipal hospital until its closure in 1999. Following extensive restoration and sensitive adaptation, the historic buildings became part of the University of Copenhagen in 2005 and today form the Centre for Health and Society. While the interiors have been transformed for teaching and research, the preserved architecture continues to reflect an important chapter in both Copenhagen’s medical history and the city’s nineteenth century urban development.

26/07/2026

Forum has been one of Copenhagen’s best known event venues since it first opened in 1926. Designed by architect Oscar Gundlach Pedersen, the building was created as a large exhibition and events hall with an innovative steel structure and a spacious interior free of supporting columns. At the time, it was among the largest buildings of its kind in Northern Europe and quickly became a venue for exhibitions, sporting events, concerts, conferences, and public gatherings.

The original hall also played an important role in Danish architectural history. In 1929, Forum hosted the influential Housing and Building Exhibition, where Arne Jacobsen and Flemming Lassen presented their visionary “House of the Future”, introducing many Danes to the emerging ideas of modernism and functionalist architecture.

During the German occupation of Denmark, the original Forum building was destroyed in August 1943 in a sabotage operation carried out by the Danish resistance movement to prevent the occupying forces from using the hall. After the Second World War, Forum was rebuilt and reopened in 1947, preserving its role as one of Copenhagen’s principal venues for large public events.

Today, Forum continues to serve as a flexible arena in the Frederiksberg district, immediately beside Forum Metro Station. While the building has been modernised several times over the decades, it remains closely associated with almost a century of exhibitions, concerts, sporting events, and architectural history in Copenhagen.

26/07/2026

“Sankt Jakobs Kirke”, known in English as St. James’s Church, was the first church to be built for Copenhagen’s rapidly growing Østerbro district after the city’s former fortifications were dismantled. Designed by architect Ludvig Fenger, it was constructed between 1876 and 1878 in the Neo Gothic style, reflecting the renewed interest in medieval architecture that characterised many Scandinavian churches of the late nineteenth century.

Built in red brick, the church is distinguished by its pointed arches, detailed brickwork, and a slender octagonal spire rising approximately 55 metres above the surrounding streets. The design draws inspiration from English Gothic churches, while its traditional floor plan, consisting of a nave, transepts, and chancel, follows long established Lutheran church architecture. A sculpture of Saint James the Greater above the main entrance identifies the church’s patron saint.

When the church was completed, much of Østerbro was still developing into the residential district seen today. Over time, “Sankt Jakobs Kirke” became an important landmark as the neighbourhood expanded around it. More than 140 years later, it remains one of Østerbro’s most recognisable historic buildings, standing between Fælledparken, Parken, and Østerbro Stadium as a lasting reminder of Copenhagen’s late nineteenth century urban growth.

26/07/2026

Rigshospitalet has been at its present location on Blegdamsvej since 1910, when it moved from the former Royal Frederiks Hospital in central Copenhagen. The original complex, designed by architect Martin Borch, followed the pavilion principle that influenced many hospitals of the period, with a series of low buildings arranged around landscaped courtyards to improve light, ventilation, and the separation of medical functions.

As medical science advanced during the mid twentieth century, the original hospital no longer met the growing demands of a modern university hospital. A major redevelopment began in the 1960s, and the first section of the new central complex was completed in 1970. Designed by architects Jørgen Stærmose and Kay Boeck Hansen, the reinforced concrete high rise introduced a very different architectural expression, reflecting the functional and large scale hospital planning of its time. Several of the historic pavilion buildings were retained and continue to form part of the hospital campus alongside the newer structures.

Today, Rigshospitalet is Denmark’s leading specialist and university hospital, combining more than a century of medical history with continuously evolving healthcare facilities. The rooftop helipad has become one of its most recognisable features, allowing critically ill and injured patients to be transported directly to the hospital by air when rapid treatment is essential.

26/07/2026

Parken is Denmark’s national stadium and one of the country’s most significant sporting landmarks. Its history reaches back to 1911, when the original “Københavns Idrætspark” opened on Østerbro as Denmark’s first purpose built football stadium. For more than a century, the site has hosted international football matches, major sporting events, concerts, and cultural gatherings, making it an important part of Copenhagen’s modern history.

The stadium seen today opened in 1992 after a complete redevelopment of the old Idrætspark. Inspired by contemporary European stadium design, it was created as a compact arena where spectators remain close to the pitch, strengthening the connection between players and crowd. The four enclosed stands give Parken its distinctive rectangular form, while the retractable roof, added in 2001, transformed it into a flexible venue capable of hosting large indoor events throughout the year.

Located between Fælledparken and Østerbro Stadium, Parken reflects more than a century of sporting tradition while remaining an active part of Copenhagen’s urban landscape. From Danish national team matches to international concerts, it continues to evolve without losing its connection to the historic site where generations have gathered since 1911.

26/07/2026

The story of “Brumleby” is closely tied to one of the most significant public health crises in Copenhagen’s history. After the devastating cholera epidemic of 1853, which exposed the consequences of overcrowded housing and poor sanitation, the Danish Medical Association initiated the construction of a new residential neighbourhood designed to provide healthy and affordable homes for working families. Building began in 1854, making Brumleby one of Denmark’s earliest examples of purpose built social housing.

The neighbourhood was designed primarily by architect Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll and later expanded by Vilhelm Klein. Its rows of modest yellow brick houses, generous green courtyards and tree lined streets reflected new ideas about light, fresh air and healthier living conditions. The restrained architecture, inspired by Neoclassicism, demonstrates how simplicity, durability and careful proportions could create a neighbourhood with both character and lasting appeal.

Seen from above, Brumleby stands out as a remarkably coherent urban composition in the heart of Østerbro. More than 170 years after its construction, it remains one of Copenhagen’s best preserved historic residential districts and an enduring example of how architecture and urban planning can respond to social challenges while creating a timeless place to live.

copenhagenbycosedis

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