copenhagenbycosedis, Sølvgade 20, Copenhagen (2026)

27/08/2026

“Lyset”, meaning “The Light”, is a distinctive residential neighbourhood in Valby and one of several building society developments that shaped this part of Copenhagen during the early twentieth century.

The building society “Lyset” was founded in 1910, initially by employees of Copenhagen’s tramways and later joined by employees of the state railways, the fire service and the municipality. The aim was to provide healthy and affordable homes away from the small and often dark apartments of Copenhagen’s densely built inner districts.

Designed by architect Heinrich Hansen, the neighbourhood was constructed between 1912 and 1914 and consists of 106 houses centred around Steins Plads. Originally built as two family houses, the buildings rise two and a half storeys and are characterised by compact proportions, prominent frontispieces and a generally coherent architectural expression.

Although the houses follow the same overall design, variations in balconies, cornices and other details give individual buildings a degree of distinction. The architecture has been described as Neo Baroque and forms part of Valby’s collection of early building society neighbourhoods.

The streets of “Lyset” were named after progressive Danish doctors of the nineteenth century. Much of the original character of the neighbourhood remains visible today. Since 1996, “Lyset” has been covered by a conservation local plan intended to preserve the architectural and cultural qualities of the houses and the overall character of the area.

25/08/2026

About 40 minutes after sunset, only the last traces of daylight remain, while the city lights gradually begin to dominate. A beautiful summer evening, looking down on Frederiksberg and Copenhagen from above. 💙🧡

25/08/2026

Trianglen in the summer of 2026 🧡

25/08/2026

Copenhagen’s inner harbour in the summer of 2026. 🧡💙

Copenhagen is a wonderful city. Unlike New York, Tokyo or London, it is not a city that never sleeps. At times, it can even seem to doze off. Yet there is always something happening somewhere.

This summer, I have spent many hours flying above Copenhagen and photographing the city from the air, but I have also explored Greater Copenhagen extensively from the ground. I have visited neighbourhoods and places I hardly knew, despite having lived here for most of my life.

It has been fascinating to discover both new and historic architecture that I had never really noticed before. Just as rewarding has been meeting so many kind and interesting people I might never have crossed paths with in my everyday life in central Copenhagen.

When visitors ask me what they should experience while they are here, I often encourage them to look beyond the places where most tourists naturally end up. That does not mean avoiding the famous sights. Copenhagen has wonderful museums, architecture, culture and plenty to experience in the city centre. But I think you get to know the city in a different way when you venture a little further out and spend time in neighbourhoods where visitors are fewer and everyday life takes over.

Throughout my many walks and trips around Copenhagen this summer, I have also been gathering ideas and inspiration for a new photographic project about our beloved capital. I am very much looking forward to sharing more about it soon.

Thank you for following along, and thank you, Copenhagen, for a wonderful summer. 🙏

28/07/2026

The Kitchen Garden at Fredensborg Palace reflects a tradition that stretches back to the palace’s construction in the early eighteenth century. Originally established to supply the royal household with fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers, it formed an essential part of the estate’s daily operation while also demonstrating the careful planning that characterised Baroque landscapes.

Today, the historic kitchen garden has been restored with respect for its original structure while adapting to modern cultivation methods. Neatly arranged planting beds, greenhouses and orchards continue the site’s horticultural tradition, combining historical heritage with sustainable food production. Although practical in purpose, the garden also illustrates how architecture, landscape design and agriculture were closely integrated in the planning of Denmark’s royal estates, making it an important part of Fredensborg Palace’s cultural and architectural history.

28/07/2026

Fredensborg Palace, located on the eastern shore of Lake Esrum north of Copenhagen, is one of Denmark’s most significant royal residences and remains in active use by the Danish Royal Family. Commissioned by King Frederik IV after the Great Northern War, the palace was constructed between 1720 and 1726. Its name, meaning “Peace Castle”, commemorates the end of the conflict and reflects the period’s ambition to express stability and royal authority through architecture.

The palace is regarded as one of the country’s finest examples of early eighteenth century Baroque architecture. The original design by Johan Cornelius Krieger combines a restrained yet monumental composition with a symmetrical layout centred on an octagonal courtyard. Later alterations, particularly by Nicolai Eigtved during the eighteenth century, introduced Rococo interiors while preserving the overall Baroque structure. This combination of architectural styles illustrates the gradual evolution of Danish court architecture across the century.

Equally important are the extensive palace gardens, which rank among Denmark’s most distinguished historic landscapes. Designed in the French Baroque tradition with formal avenues, terraces and geometric planting, the gardens were later expanded with more naturalistic elements inspired by the English landscape movement. The renowned Valley of the Norsemen, featuring an impressive collection of sandstone sculptures, further reinforces the estate’s artistic and cultural significance.

Today, Fredensborg Palace continues to serve both ceremonial and residential purposes. State visits, official receptions and royal family gatherings are regularly held here, making the palace not only an important architectural landmark but also a living institution that connects Denmark’s historical monarchy with its present day constitutional role.

26/07/2026

The SAS Royal Hotel, today known as the Radisson Collection Royal Hotel, is one of the most influential buildings in Danish architectural history. Designed by Arne Jacobsen and completed in 1960, it was conceived as both a luxury hotel and an air terminal for Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). Rising 22 storeys above Vesterbrogade beside Copenhagen Central Station and Tivoli Gardens, it became Copenhagen’s first high rise and is widely regarded as Denmark’s first skyscraper.

The building is considered one of the finest examples of post war modernism in Denmark. Its elegant curtain wall façade, strict geometric form, and minimalist expression reflected the international architectural ideals of the period. Arne Jacobsen also designed almost every element of the interior, from furniture and lighting to textiles, cutlery, door handles, and signage, creating one of the world’s earliest examples of a complete architectural “total design”. It was for this project that he created the now iconic Egg and Swan chairs, both of which have since become internationally recognised classics of Danish design.

Although many interiors have changed over the decades, Room 606 has been carefully preserved as a rare example of Jacobsen’s original vision. In 2024, the building was officially listed as a protected monument, recognising its outstanding architectural and cultural significance. More than six decades after its completion, the former SAS Royal Hotel remains one of Copenhagen’s defining landmarks and a milestone in the history of modern architecture.

If you would like to explore the building in greater depth, my publisher, Strandberg Publishing, has released the beautifully illustrated book Room 606: The SAS House and the Work of Arne Jacobsen by architect Michael Sheridan. Focusing on the only preserved original hotel room, it offers a detailed look at the architecture, interiors, and design philosophy behind one of Arne Jacobsen’s most celebrated works.

26/07/2026

This part of Nørrebro is one of my absolute favourite areas in the district. Seen from above, the neighbourhood around Nørrebrogade, Elmegade, Birkegade, Egegade, and Guldbergsgade reveals a remarkably cohesive urban landscape shaped during Copenhagen’s rapid expansion in the late nineteenth century.

Most of the surrounding buildings were constructed between the 1880s and the early twentieth century, when Nørrebro developed into one of Copenhagen’s largest working class neighbourhoods. The area is characterised by continuous perimeter blocks of five and six storey brick apartment buildings, many featuring decorated façades, corner buildings with distinctive architectural details, and enclosed courtyards that reflect the planning ideals of the period. Despite many later renovations, the original street pattern and urban structure remain largely unchanged.

Today, the neighbourhood combines its historic architecture with a vibrant mix of independent shops, cafés, restaurants, and local businesses. From the air, the dense street grid, mature trees, and varied roofscape illustrate how nineteenth century urban planning continues to define the character of this part of Copenhagen, where historic architecture and everyday city life remain closely connected.

26/07/2026

The former Copenhagen Municipal Hospital, known in Danish as Kommunehospitalet, was one of the city’s most important public institutions for more than 130 years. Designed by architect Christian Hansen and constructed between 1859 and 1863, it was built in response to the devastating cholera epidemic of 1853, which exposed the need for a larger and more modern hospital outside Copenhagen’s former fortifications. When it opened in 1863, it was Denmark’s largest and most advanced hospital, accommodating around 850 patients.

Architecturally, the complex is one of the finest examples of Neo Byzantine architecture in Denmark. Its symmetrical layout, centred on a distinctive copper domed main building, combines yellow brick with red decorative bands, vaulted arcades, and spacious courtyards. The design reflected nineteenth century ideas about hygiene, daylight, fresh air, and efficient hospital planning, with separate wings connected by carefully organised circulation routes.

Kommunehospitalet served as a municipal hospital until its closure in 1999. Following extensive restoration and sensitive adaptation, the historic buildings became part of the University of Copenhagen in 2005 and today form the Centre for Health and Society. While the interiors have been transformed for teaching and research, the preserved architecture continues to reflect an important chapter in both Copenhagen’s medical history and the city’s nineteenth century urban development.

26/07/2026

Forum has been one of Copenhagen’s best known event venues since it first opened in 1926. Designed by architect Oscar Gundlach Pedersen, the building was created as a large exhibition and events hall with an innovative steel structure and a spacious interior free of supporting columns. At the time, it was among the largest buildings of its kind in Northern Europe and quickly became a venue for exhibitions, sporting events, concerts, conferences, and public gatherings.

The original hall also played an important role in Danish architectural history. In 1929, Forum hosted the influential Housing and Building Exhibition, where Arne Jacobsen and Flemming Lassen presented their visionary “House of the Future”, introducing many Danes to the emerging ideas of modernism and functionalist architecture.

During the German occupation of Denmark, the original Forum building was destroyed in August 1943 in a sabotage operation carried out by the Danish resistance movement to prevent the occupying forces from using the hall. After the Second World War, Forum was rebuilt and reopened in 1947, preserving its role as one of Copenhagen’s principal venues for large public events.

Today, Forum continues to serve as a flexible arena in the Frederiksberg district, immediately beside Forum Metro Station. While the building has been modernised several times over the decades, it remains closely associated with almost a century of exhibitions, concerts, sporting events, and architectural history in Copenhagen.

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