The Rådhuset

The Rådhuset, Copenhagen’s City Hall is a prime example of the National Romantic style built by its most important exponent, Martin Nyrop, between 1892-1905. Its inspiration was drawn from medieval Danish and Norwegian architecture with a touch of the palazzo style of northern Italy. The façade and interior are trimmed with historic details from Nordic mythology. (description by www.dailyscandinavian.com).

The City Hall was placed at on an old hay market, right next to the West City Gate that was surrounded by the city’s fortifications up until 1850. After their demolition the place gradually became the venue of large exhibitions, with an unknown until then architect Martin Nyrop winning the competition for the building of the Nordic Exhibition of 1888, an impressive wooden structure that predated the city hall. Martin Nyrop would also win the competition for the city hall a year later and a new square based on Siena’s Piazza del Campo was set out to match the city’s new focal point.

The 106 meters tall tower became one of Copenhagen’s tallest structures (at the time it was Denmark’s tallest building).It is equipped with a large clock and a carillon that chimes a familiar tune all over the capital every day. Above the main entrance is a figure of Bishop Absalon (founder of Copenhagen/1167) in gilded copper.

Three are the city hall’s highlights. The Grand City Hall with sculptures and paintings of prominent Copenhageners, Jens Olsen’s World Clock, one of the most accurate and complicated clocks in the world that took 27 years to build and is displayed at the foyer and of course the bird’s eye view one is offered after ascending the 300 steps to the top of the tower. There are guided tours during the weekdays to both the city hall and the tower.

Other noteworthy features of the town hall square include the dragon fountain, a seven meters tall sculpture depicting a fight between a bull and a dragon, inaugurated in 1904 but properly finished and placed on the western side of the square in 1923. The granite Zero Kilometre Stone marking the actual center of the capital, the golden Weather Girls, a landmark in Copenhagen since the 1930’s that sit atop the Richshuset building on the City Hall Square, that used to provide a weather forecast for Copenhageners (the one girl bears an umbrella, which meant rainy weather was coming.

The girl on the bike would rotate when sunny days were predicted). Also a 20 meters tall column that stands on the east side of the square bearing a sculpture of two Lure blowers. The Lure is an ancient Nordic brass instrument (one of the oldest musical instruments in the world) used to marshal troops and frighten the enemy. Finally there’s a statue of Hans C. Andersen beside the City Hall – and H. C. Andersen’s Boulevard that runs alongside the building placed there in the early 1960’s. More