Hotel Astoria (Copenhagen)
Encyclopedia
Hotel Astoria is a design hotel located next to the Central Station in Copenhagen
, Denmark
. The building is an early example of Functionalist
architecture in Denmark.
, who had started his career in the State Railways' design office before forming his own practice. The hotel was built from 1934 to 1935 as the first luxury hotel in Copenhagen.
In 2007, Hotel Astoria was taken over by DGI-byen
. The new owner commissioned GUBI to redesign the interior while preserving many of the original features. The revolving doors, the first in Denmark, are still present at the main entrance, and one of the luxury rooms has been maintained exactly as it was in 1935. Relying on black and white set off by tones of deep purple and greyish blue, a new colour scheme has been selected and the building has been fitted out with artistically designed, custom-made furniture. Hotel guests have access to DGI-byen’s nearby centre, which has amenities such as a gym, pool, and spa.
On 1 July 2011 the hotel was taken over by Zleep Hotels.
An example of architecture parlante
, the building is intended to resemble a steam locomotive
, with its connotations of travel and movement encapsulating the essence of the site, and as an expression of the fascination with progress and technology which was typical of the time. It consists of an expressive constellation of cubist
volumes, culminating in the narrow facade looking out over Vesterbrogade
which is topped by a "hood ornament
" in the shape of a winged wheel bearing a crown, a sculptural representation of the old logo of the Danish State Railways. The vertical, exterior hotel sign is in the full height of the building. At the other end of the building, there is a cylindrical staircase tower with a helical window.
Great care was taken by E. Schmidt, the technical designer, in drawing up the detailed specifications for a building which was to be constructed using Asger Skovgaard Ostenfeld
's recently developed deformation technique for reinforced concrete structures. The finish on the four-inch-thick walls with metal-framed windows was achieved by manual bush hammering
.
The hotel has been an inspiration for Peter Clash's design of the RIBA Award
-winning Sleeperz Hotel in Cardiff
, Wales
.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. The building is an early example of Functionalist
Functionalism (architecture)
Functionalism, in architecture, is the principle that architects should design a building based on the purpose of that building. This statement is less self-evident than it first appears, and is a matter of confusion and controversy within the profession, particularly in regard to modern...
architecture in Denmark.
History
The building was designed as a station hotel for the Danish State Railways by Ole FalkentorpOle Falkentorp
-Early life and education:Ole Falkentorp was born into a family of architects on 18 February 1886 in Copenhagen. His father was Albert Jensen, architect, professor and Royal Building Inspector, and his mother Sophie Jensen née Nebelong, daughter of the architect Niels Sigfred Nebelong...
, who had started his career in the State Railways' design office before forming his own practice. The hotel was built from 1934 to 1935 as the first luxury hotel in Copenhagen.
In 2007, Hotel Astoria was taken over by DGI-byen
DGI-byen
DGI-byen is a facility that houses various spa facilities, restaurants, hotels, conference facilities, a bowling alley, flexible multi-centres, sports clubs, a superellipse shaped swimming pool and Vandkulturhuset, , located in central Copenhagen, Denmark.DGI-byen is situated within the Meat...
. The new owner commissioned GUBI to redesign the interior while preserving many of the original features. The revolving doors, the first in Denmark, are still present at the main entrance, and one of the luxury rooms has been maintained exactly as it was in 1935. Relying on black and white set off by tones of deep purple and greyish blue, a new colour scheme has been selected and the building has been fitted out with artistically designed, custom-made furniture. Hotel guests have access to DGI-byen’s nearby centre, which has amenities such as a gym, pool, and spa.
On 1 July 2011 the hotel was taken over by Zleep Hotels.
Architecture
The hotel consists of a long slender wing forming a barrier between the courtyard in front of the main entrance to the Central Station, which partly opens to the underground rail lines, and Reventlowsgade, the street on the Vesterbro side of the station.An example of architecture parlante
Architecture parlante
The phrase architecture parlante refers to the concept of buildings that explain their own function or identity.The phrase was originally associated with Claude Nicolas Ledoux, and was extended to other Paris-trained architects of the Revolutionary period, Étienne-Louis Boullée, and Jean-Jacques...
, the building is intended to resemble a steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
, with its connotations of travel and movement encapsulating the essence of the site, and as an expression of the fascination with progress and technology which was typical of the time. It consists of an expressive constellation of cubist
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
volumes, culminating in the narrow facade looking out over Vesterbrogade
Vesterbrogade
Vesterbrogade is the main shopping street of the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It extends west for 1.5 km from the Rådhuspladsen along the municipal border with Frederiksberg to Pile Allé where it turns into Roskildevej...
which is topped by a "hood ornament
Hood ornament
A hood/bonnet ornament, or radiator cap, or car mascot is a specially crafted model of something which symbolizes a car company like a badge, located on the front center portion of the hood...
" in the shape of a winged wheel bearing a crown, a sculptural representation of the old logo of the Danish State Railways. The vertical, exterior hotel sign is in the full height of the building. At the other end of the building, there is a cylindrical staircase tower with a helical window.
Great care was taken by E. Schmidt, the technical designer, in drawing up the detailed specifications for a building which was to be constructed using Asger Skovgaard Ostenfeld
Asger Skovgaard Ostenfeld
Asger Skovgaard Ostenfeld was a Danish civil engineer who specialized in the theory of steel and reinforced concrete structures. He is now considered to be the founding father of the theory of structures in Denmark....
's recently developed deformation technique for reinforced concrete structures. The finish on the four-inch-thick walls with metal-framed windows was achieved by manual bush hammering
Bush hammer
A bush hammer is a masonry tool used to texturize stone and concrete. Bush hammers exist in many forms, from simple hand-held hammers to large electric machines, but the basic functional property of the tool is always the same - a grid of conical or pyramidal points at the end of a large metal slug...
.
The hotel has been an inspiration for Peter Clash's design of the RIBA Award
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
-winning Sleeperz Hotel in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
External links
- Hotel Astoria web site
- Pictures and renderings from the Royal Danish Art Academy Library