Kultorvet

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The square prior to the renovation in 2012

Kultorvet (literally "The Coal Market") is a public square in the Old Town of Copenhagen, Denmark. Together with Købmagergade and the southern part of Frederiksborggade, it forms a pedestrian zone between Nørreport station and Amagertorv on Strøget.

History

Kultorvet seen on an engraving from 1736
Collier at Kultorvet, c. 1805

Kultorvet was created after the Copenhagen Fire of 1728 which destroyed a large part of the city. It was initially known as (Ny Nørre Torv oven for Rundetårn" ("Mew North Market above the Round Tower". The current, more easy-on-the-tongue name gradually took over, referring to the market trade which dominated the site. Prior to the fire, trade in charcoal, fire wood and peat had taken place just inside the Northern City Gate, a preactical location since it was controlled by colliers, peat gatherers and farmers from the forest-clad north of Zealand.[1]

The original market square was considerably smaller but the its area has gradually been increased in connection with demolitions and construction of new buildings. A new building for Copenhagen Central Library was built on the east side of the square in 1957.

Kultorvet was between 2011 and 2013 refurbished together with the rest of the pedestrian zone and Hauser Plads on the other side of the Library House. The new square was designed by Polyform. .[2]

Architecture

Built in the 1730, No. 14 on the corner with Sankt Gertruds Stræde is the only building of the square that survives from its creation in the years after the Fire of 1728.[3][4] No. 5, 7, 9–11 and 15 (designed by Christian Frederik Hansen) all date from the 1819s.

The Historicist building on the corner of Frederiksborggade was designed by Valdemar Ingemann and is from 1895. It was originally topped by a tall spire but it was dismantled after a few years[5] The building on the corner of Købmagergade, also in the Historiccist style, is from 1908.

The square

One of Copenhagen's old telephone kiosks is found on the square. The 2013 renovation installed a large, circular foundation which doubles as a band stand for specialevents.

On the square is Hanne Varming's bronze statue The Elder Mother (Hyldemor), presenting an elderly couple seated on a bench in quiet contemplation. The statue takes its name after Hans Christian Andersen's tale of the same name from 1851 but was also inspired by a memory of the artist's own great grand parents.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Kultorvet" (in Danish). Selskabet for Københavns Historie. Retrieved 2013-10-10. 
  2. ↑ "Købmagergade får 2 millioner granitsten og en legeplads" (in Danish). Politiken. Retrieved 2013-10-10. 
  3. ↑ "Kultorvets vestlige side" (in Danish). Københavns Museum. Retrieved 2013-10-10. 
  4. ↑ "Kultorvet 14/Sankt Gertruds Stræde 1-1a" (in Danish). indenforvoldene.dk. Retrieved 2013-10-10. 
  5. ↑ "Kultorvet 17/Frederiksborggade 1-1a-c" (in Danish). indenforvoldene.dk. Retrieved 2013-10-10. 
  6. ↑ "Hyldemor og hendes mand har sat sig ned igen" (in Danish). Københavns Kommune. Retrieved 2013-04-10. 

External links

Coordinates: 55°40′57″N 12°34′27″E / 55.6825°N 12.5741°E / 55.6825; 12.5741

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.