Odder Town Hall

Facts

A brutal town hall

By Simon Ostenfeld Pedersen (5 stories)

Odder Town Hall was built in 1972 and extended in 1980. The building was designed by the architects Friis & Moltke of Aarhus. The style is Brutalist, the hallmarks of which are bare concrete and brick with outsize details such as railings and handles. The Town Hall was part of the wave of newbuilds in the wake of Denmark's biggest local government reform in 1970, which reduced the number of municipalities from 1,386 to 275 and the number of counties from 25 to 14. The mergers called for larger administrative buildings, and construction of new town halls and county offices mushroomed in the ensuing years.

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Democracy just entered the building

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Story written by Simon Ostenfeld Pedersen

Time / Periode 1972

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Following the local government reform of 1970, many of the new town halls did away with their 'nanny-state' image. Instead, the town halls were to reflect contemporary ideals of eye-level democracy. Local government buildings were no longer to be reserved for politicians and council officers. Odder Town Hall has no monumental main entrance, but two entrances facing each other, both of which are symbolic understatements, and simply openings in the facade. One entrance is actually opposite the parking area. The town hall does not impose itself as a building superior to the citizens, but seeks to erase the divide between citizenry and officialdom. In the vestibule, the service desks are in the middle of the room, creating a 'contact zone' between citizens and staff. One unique aspect is the public view of the administrative offices, where the staff can be seen going about their work.