What Architecture to see in Copenhagen
A Look at the Beautiful Buildings Located in Denmark’s Capital
Oct 21, 2009
The city of Copenhagen is known for many unique places, such as its castles, home of the Queen, the modernized harbour of New Harbour, and its main attractions – Tivoli, the Little Mermaid and the Round Tower. However, there are several other sites worth visiting, if one has a flair for the world of architecture or just enjoys experiencing new and creative buildings.
The Royal Library – The Black Diamond
The Royal Library is located in the heart of the city, close to the Kings Court, the New Harbour, and one of the two bridges to the island, Amager, which is also considered to be a part of the capital. The building was designed by three architects, Schmid, Hammer and Larsen, and also carries the nickname, ‘the Black Diamond’.
The nickname stems from the building itself, because it consists of 2,500 square metres of black granite from Zimbabwe. Each stone weighs about 75 kg and was polished in Northern Italy before used in the construction. Another reason for its nickname is due to the angle of the building. Because the building is located by the water and built with an angle that hovers over the water. The sun’s rays reflect of the water onto the building’s wall, making the building shine – like a diamond.
The building itself consists of 800 doors and 450 rooms of various sizes dispersed on 8 different floors. There are approximately 29 metres from the floor to the ceilings in the library’s glass atrium.
Amalienborg Palace, the Royal Grounds and Gardens
Amalienborg is the name of the Royal family’s winter home, which is located in the center of Copenhagen. The palace consists of four identical buildings, which are placed in an octagon, creating a courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard is a status of King Frederik the fifth, who was the founder of the Amalienborg palace.
Close to the palace is the Frederik’s Church, which is not part of the palace grounds. However, when seen from the water, the church fits perfectly between the buildings, making it appear central to the Royal architecture.
The gardens, which are located between the four palace buildings and the waterfront, are kept neat and organized. Cut to perfection, the bushes and flowers add personality to the older Monarch structures and a large water fountain.
Tietgenkollegiet – University Dorms
The Tietgenkollegiet is located on Amager by the University of Copenhagen’s humanities departments. Tietgen is the name of the building, which is currently being used as student housing or dorm rooms for students at the faculty of humanities.
The building has a circular shape and seven stories. There are five vertical lines that divide the building into sections, both in terms of floors, rooms and balconies. Because this is student housing, the ground floor offers common facilities, such as a café, an auditorium, study rooms, computer rooms, laundry facilities, music rooms and bicycle storage.
Although the building does not appear large due to its circular structure, it does have 360 rooms. The rooms differ in size, the smallest being 26 square metres. The other rooms are 29 square metres, 33 square metres and 42 square metres. Each room has its own washroom and there are several shared kitchens and living rooms on each floor.
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