Copenhagen City Hall
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The present Copenhagen City Hall is situated on Rådhuspladsen (English: City Hall Square) in central Copenhagen.
It was designed by architect Martin Nyrop and the design for the building was inspired by the city hall of Siena, Italy. Construction began in 1892 and the hall was opened on September 12, 1905. [1]
The appearance of the city hall is dominated by its impressive front, the golden statue of Absalon just above the balcony and the tall, slim tower with a clock. The city hall tower is at 105.6 metres one of the tallest buildings in Copenhagen.
In addition to the tower clock, the City Hall houses Jens Olsen's World Clock.
[edit] History
Before the city hall moved to its present location, it was situated at Gammeltorv/Nytorv. The first city hall was in use from about 1479 until it burned down in the great Copenhagen fire of 1728.
The second city hall was built in 1728 and was designed by J.C. Ernst and J.C. Krieger. It burned down in the Copenhagen fire of 1795.
It was not until 1815 that a new city hall erected on Nytorv. It was intended to house both the city hall and a court. Today it is still in use as the city court of Copenhagen.
[edit] Notes and References
- ^ Barbara M. Lane, National Romanticism and Modern Architecture in Germany and the Scandinavian Countries (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000).
