Architecture

Constructed from some six million biscuit-coloured bricks, this monolithic church towers like a rocket ship over the quiet residential streets that surround it. Designed by Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint in 1913 (although not finished until after his death in 1940) this rare example of religious expressionist architecture is a pilgrimage for design enthusiasts. 

Every element of the interior has been carefully considered, from the neat rows of beechwood-and-wicker chairs – designed for the church by the architect’s son, Kaare Klint – to the suspended light fittings, soaring columns and minimalist wooden hymn boards. Note the seemingly incongruous four-masted model ship floating above the south aisle: votive ships are common in Danish churches but this is the largest example in the country.

Denmark’s central bank moved its HQ from Slotsholmen to Holmen’s Canal in 1870, and in 1961 several leading architects were invited to submit proposals for its expansion. Arne Jacobsen won, and the building as we know it was constructed between 1965 and 1978, with Copenhagen-based architecture and design practice Dissing 1 Weitling completing the project after Jacobsen’s death in 1971. 

The clean-cut Danmarks Nationalbank appears to be impenetrable behind a curtain-like façade. On Havnegade, however, is a modest entrance that leads into the lobby, open to the public on weekdays from 09.00 to 16.00. The 20-metre-high wedge-shaped space is lined, as is the façade, with light Porsgrunn marble.

The privately owned Danish stock exchange is closed to the public – but with an exterior like this you’re not short on things to look at. The copper roof and 56-metre-tall spire – formed from the entwined tails of four dragons – are well-known city landmarks. Stroll the length of the richly embellished red-brick building and you’ll come face-to-face with equally eye-catching details: individuals peek out of pediments above windows and bare-chested figures top ornate columns. 

Børsen reflects the tastes of its royal patron, Christian IV, who commissioned the grand building to reflect the importance of increased trade and commerce in Denmark. It was erected on the eastern corner of Slotholmen between 1620 and 1624 by brothers Lorenz and Hans van Steenwinckel, and assumed its current appearance in 1883.