Copenhagen Police Headquarters

Copenhagen Police Headquarters
Københavns Politigård

Alternative names	Politigården
General information
Architectural style	Neoclassical and Nordic Classicism
Location	Copenhagen
Current tenants	Police of Denmark
Construction started	1918
Completed	1924
Owner	Copenhagen Municipality
Technical details
Floor count	4 (above ground)
Design and construction
Architect	Hack Kampmann and Aage Rafn

The Copenhagen Police Headquarters building (Danish: Københavns Politigård) is located on Polititorvet southwest of the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. Designed by Hack Kampmann and Aage Rafn in 1924 in the Neoclassical style, often referred to as Nordic Classicism,^[1] it was completed in 1924.^[2]

Background

Until late in the 19th century, the area around today's Police Headquarters was part of Kalvebod Beach. After the quayside had been established, construction began on the Glyptotek and Vestre Hospital. In 1906, a street plan was drawn up for the area which at the time was known as the Rysensteen Quarter. It was decided in 1916 that the state and Copenhagen Municipality should together construct a building there for the Copenhagen police which had until then been headquartered in the Copenhagen Court House on Nytorv.^[3]

The building under construction, c. 1922

Hack Kampmann (1856–1920) was commissioned to design the building in the summer of 1918. Work on the foundations began in August of that year with 3,816 reinforced concrete piles. He was assisted in the work by several other architects including Aage Rafn (1890–1953) and Holger Jacobsen and his son Hans Jørgen Kampmann. Rafn exerted considerable influence on the design of the building. Hack Kampmann, who died in June 1920, did not live to see the completion of his building in early 1924.^[3]

Architecture

The building is said to be the last example of Neoclassical architecture in Northern Europe. It typically juxtaposes squares and circles, light and darkness and the horizontal with the vertical.^[4] Its interior is inspired by the Renaissance architecture of southern Europe and by Baroque decorations. There are also features based on Roman craftsmanship and on Art Deco. The outside of the building is intentionally austere, intensifying the attraction of the colourful, well-formed features inside, including dark terrazzo flooring and oversized door and window frames so meticulously crafted. The round courtyard, 45 m (148 ft) in width, is surrounded by a colonnade consisting of 44 Doric columns. The small square-shaped courtyard, dominated by eight colossal pillars, contains a sculpture of the "Snake Killer" (Slangedræberen) by Einar Utzon-Frank.^[4] Rafn was inspired by the warehouses of London's dockland in designing the building's facade.^[3]^[5]

When it opened in 1924, the building was a masterpiece of its genre. It was nonetheless the subject of considerable criticism by those who felt it was an anachronistic symbol of power at a time when Functionalism was becoming the style of the times.^[4]

Popular culture

Though not previously a well-known building outside Denmark, it has become well known worldwide because it is one of the main film locations in the globally critically acclaimed Danish-Swedish TV police crime series Bron/Broen, which was first broadcast in 2011, in which it actually "plays itself" as the Copenhagen Police Headquarters. Other Danish police crime series set in Copenhagen that regularly feature establishing shots of the building also include the acclaimed series The Killing (2007–2012).

References

↑ Simo Paavilainen and Juhani Pallasmaa (eds.), Nordic Classicism 1910-1930. Helsinki: Museum of Finnish Architecture, 1982. ISBN 951-9229-21-3 (texts in English and Swedish).
↑ "Politigården" (in Danish). Den Store Danaske. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
1 2 3 "Københavns Politi: Politigården" (PDF) (in Danish). Politi.dk. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
1 2 3 "Politigården" (in Danish). DAC. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
↑ "Politigården" (in Danish). AOK. Retrieved 27 December 2013.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Københavns Politigård.

Images on arkitekturbilleder.dk
PDF about the building

Copenhagen

Official districts	Amager Øst Amager Vest Bellahøj Bispebjerg Brønshøj Frederiksberg Frederiksstaden Indre By Nørrebro Ørestad Østerbro Valby Vanløse Vesterbro/Kongens Enghave

Notable neighbourhoods & localities	Indre By Carlsberg Christiania Christianshavn Frederiksstaden Holmen Islands Brygge Kongens Nytorv Nyboder Nyhavn Slotsholmen

Parks & open spaces	Amager Strandpark Assistens Cemetery Frederiksberg Gardens Kastellet Kongens Have Superkilen

Churches	St. Alban's Alexander Nevsky Church St. Andrew's Anna Church St. Ansgar's Cathedral St. Augustine's Bernstorff Palace Bethlehem Church Brorson's Church Christian's Church Christ Church Elijah's Church Frederik's Church Frederiksberg Church Godthaab Church Grundtvig's Church Gustaf Church Hans Tausen's Church Holmen Church Holy Ghost Church Immanuel Church Isaiah Church St. James's Jerusalem Church Jesus Church St. John's Church Kildevæld Church St. Luke's Church Mariendal Church St. Mark's St. Matthew's Nathanael's Church St. Paul's St. Peter's Philip's Church Reformed Church Church of Our Saviour Simon Peter's Church Solbjerg Church Sundby Church Trinitatis Church Zion's Church

Museums	Cisternerne Amber Museum Danish Design Centre Danish Museum of Art & Design Danish Revue Museum Fotografisk Center University of Copenhagen Geological Museum Hirschsprung Collection Jewish Museum Kastrupgård Kunsthal Charlottenborg Medical Museion Museum of Copenhagen National Museum of Denmark National Museum of Photography Natural History Museum of Denmark North Atlantic House Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Police Museum Revue Museum Royal Danish Naval Museum National Gallery of Denmark Storm P. Museum Tøjhus Museum Tycho Brahe Planetarium

Landmarks	Amalienborg Børsen Charlottenborg Palace Christiansborg Palace Copenhagen City Hall Harbour Baths Fortifications Frederiksberg Palace Hotel Astoria Kongens Nytorv Lakes Langelinie Little Mermaid Medicon Valley Nørreport Station Opera House Øresund Bridge Palace Hotel Radisson Blu Royal Hotel Rosenborg Castle Royal Danish Playhouse Royal Library Tivoli

Politics & administration	Copenhagen Municipality Lord mayors of Copenhagen Frederiksberg Municipality Region Hovedstaden

Education	Copenhagen Business School Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation Technical University of Denmark University of Copenhagen UCC

Transport	Copenhagen Airport Copenhagen Central Station Copenhagen Metro S-trains Cycling (Super Bikeways)

Districts History Lists Transport

Coordinates: 55°40′15″N 12°34′20″E / 55.6707°N 12.5722°E / 55.6707; 12.5722

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, January 19, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.