Dinner overlooking the corridors of power

Rising 106 metres into the air, the main tower at Christiansborg Palace – home of the Danish parliament, or Folketinget – occupies a prominent position in the Copenhagen skyline.

During its restoration, the architects became aware of the huge potential of the large tower room with its eleven-metre-high ceilings. The space has now been transformed into an exciting restaurant, with public access to a large viewing platform.

Christiansborg Palace lies in the heart of Copenhagen. On account of its monumental grandeur, the building is unquestionably the centre of power in Denmark. Christiansborg is also the stronghold of Danish democracy, as it is the seat of the Prime Minister’s office, the Danish Parliament and the Supreme Court of Denmark, as well as being used by the monarchy. Consequently, it is often referred to as Borgen – or The Castle.

In 1884, the second Christiansborg Palace burned down, and the present building – the third Christiansborg – was built between 1907 and 1927. At 106 metres, the central tower is the highest point in Copenhagen and a key feature of city’s beautiful skyline.

 

Tower room with huge potential

In the period up to 2009, the outside of the Tower was renovated. The copper cladding was renewed, as well as the basic concrete construction, which in some places was corroded.

During the restoration project, the architects commissioned by the Danish parliament – Henrik Levinsen and Dorthe Andersen – saw the huge potential of the tower room, a fantastic repository with eleven-metre high ceilings and stuffed with statues, historical architectural models and gigantic lion figures.  It was like a scene from a film, yet was completely authentic with everything caked in dust.

 

Restaurant and public access

The Danish parliament’s Presidium and then Speaker, Mogens Lykketoft, were thrilled about the architects’ discovery and their proposal to establish public access and a restaurant in the Tower.

The funding was granted, and the extensive work required to transform the room into a restaurant started. The project posed many challenges, both technical and in relation to fireproofing, and the tradesmen were also subject to strict noise restrictions.

 

100 guests and all-round views

In June 2014, the Tower was inaugurated, with what has become an incredibly popular restaurant as well as access to a special room with plaster sculptures and architectural models. The restaurant has seating for 100 guests, and the well-known chef Rasmus Bo Bojesen was appointed to manage the new venue.

Last but not least, there is public access to the viewing platform, which offers fabulous 360-degree views across the Copenhagen rooftops. In clear weather, it is even possible to glimpse Sweden in the distance. The restaurant has become a unique architectural experience, an exciting marriage of past and present.

In relation to the acoustics, the architect Dorthe Andersen says: “The grey Troldtekt acoustic panels blend in extremely well with the raw space and the concrete, and the acoustics are absolutely wonderful.”