The craftsmen's town in Valby

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Denmark's first craftsman's town

By Kathrine G. Bjerregaard, Cand.mag i historie og filosofi / Master of Arts, History and Philosophy (33 stories)

The craftsman's town in Valby is the first of its kind in Denmark. It is a prime example of buildings for small companies in Denmark. It was devised by architect Ole Vinter in 1951 at the initiative of The National Association for Danish Enterprise. The complex was built in Valby south of Grønttorvet vegetable market in three phases up until 1962. It consists of one-storey terraced houses built of concrete and bricks. The workshops are furnished with good lighting and ventilation. The town is in stark contrast to the dark backyard and basement industries of days gone by. Today, it comprises small one-man enterprises, traders and art studios.

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From craftsman's digs to artists' studios

Story written by Kathrine G. Bjerregaard

Time / Periode 1951

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Before World War II, more than half of Denmark's industrial workers worked in dreadful conditions in small workshops or sheds. Engineers, for example, with 20 employees in a backyard shed or basement of a block of flats. Danish slums in towns and cities were cleared in the post-war period providing industrial workers with better conditions. Understandably, the rented properties in the craftsman's town quickly became popular. They were light, the air was fresh and water and electricity supplies were reliable. They are still popular today. Though many of the old workshops have been forced to shut up shop, a new group is happy to call it home – artists and designers, for example.