Copenhagen City Hall

Facts

From Siena to City Hall

Copenhagen City Hall wasn't built until 1892-1905, though Martin Nyrop's first sketches for the building were made back in 1888. The city government had decided to put the new city hall on the site of the recently demolished Vesterport embankment. An architectural competition was held and Nyrop ignored the building styles of the time and proposed a building inspired by the town hall of Siena. It was to be cheerful and dignified but not aristocratic. The City Hall is called picture castle" because of the extensive interior decorations, including wood carvings and frescos. Many walls and lamps bear the letters SEBSB. This stands for Martin Nyrop's motto in Danish meaning "A City Epitomises Its Citizens". "

Partly a public place

Selected entry

Urban panorama

Story written by Jan Möllerström

Time / Periode 1903

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Copenhagen City Hall is an exciting combination of North Italian architecture and Nordic historicism. Frescos, ornamentation, glass mosaics and furniture illustrating the city's history are everywhere. In the central hall, a long frieze highlights the city's historical development from when Absalon founded Havn (meaning harbour) until the new city hall was opened. The Townsmen's Staircase is decorated with historical frescos and panoramas of the city – one view of the city seen from the sea in 1611, and one of the city seen from land in 1587. Copenhagen City Hall also ended up containing both a city archive and a museum. Nyrop picked up the bill for the museum because no one had considered this possibility beforehand.