Kronprinsessegade
Encyclopedia
Kronprinsessegade is a street in central Copenhagen
, Denmark
. Noted for its fine Neoclassical
houses, it extends from Gothersgade
and runs along the southern boundary of Rosenborg Castle Garden, passing Sølvgade and the Nyboder
district of old naval barracks before finally joining Øster Voldgade
close to Østerport Station
. The David Collection
, a museum which displays a large collection of Islamic art
as well as Danish and European fine and applied arts, is based at No. 30.
After the Copenhagen Fire of 1795
, which destroyed large parts of the city, there was an urgent need for new housing. Instigated by his consort, Crown Princess Marie Sophie
, Crown Prince Frederik (VI)
made a 89 ell
(55.8 meter) strip along the southern boundary of Rosenborg Castle Garden available for the establishment of a new street which was to connect Gothersgade to Sølvgade.
The new street was named Kronprinsessegade in honour of Crown Princess Marie Sophie, who had first conceived the idea. At the same time, the name complied with the practice in the area of naming streets after Danish territorial possessions, royalty and the upper classes, including nobility, which originated in the 1649 plan for the New Copenhagen extension of the fortified city.
City architect Peter Meyn (1749–1808) and Jørgen Henrich Rawert (1751–1823) were put in charge of the project which began in 1799. The row of houses along the south side of the street was completed over the next two decades. The architect Johan Martin Quist
is one of the large contributors to this oldest section of Kronprinsessegade with No. 6 (1803–06), 8-10 (1803–04), 12-14 (1805–06), 16 (1806–07) and 18 (1807–13). Andreas Hallander
designed No. 20 (1805–06, with J. H. Rawert), 22, 24 (1807–08, with A. C. Wilcken) and Kronprinsessegades Barracks at No. 46 (extension 1805-07, with J. H. Rawert).
where he had been struck by the Pont-Neuf with its iron grill and many small shops, and the street life which surrounded it. With this as an inspiration, he designed the new grill along the edge of the park with 12 small shop pavilions, each six ells wide, six ells deep and six ells tall. It was completed in 1806.
Among the goods which were sold from the pavilions were cakes and stockings. Later they were made available to architects and artists from the Royal Arts Academy as a sort of grant.
had been demolished and from 1870 to 1872 the Workers' Building Society
constructed their third development of terraced houses in the grounds. The first of the building society's developments was designed by Frederik Bøttger. It became a sort of pilot project for the later, larger and more prominent developments built to his design, the Kartoffelrækkerne in Østerbro
and the Humleby
in Vesterbro.
In 1931 a property was demoished in Sølvgade to continue Kronprinsessegade eastwards, past Nyboder and the Building Society's houses, all the way to Øster Voldgade at Nyboder School.
style typical of the construction boom during the decades after the Great Fire of 1795 and which still dominates in much of central Copenhagen. The architect, architectural writer and urban planner Steen Eiler Rasmussen
has given the following characterisation of the street:
as its main point of interest for visitors.
The pavilions are today rented out by the Palaces and Properties Agency on two-years leases with possibility of extension. There is a required minimum opening time of 20 hours per week. They need to be relevant to the site's history while being placed in a contemporary context. A larger building in the gardens, halfway along the street, houses the restaurant Orangeriet which has a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide
.
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...
. Noted for its fine Neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
houses, it extends from Gothersgade
Gothersgade
Gothersgade is a major street in the City Centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. It extends from Kongens Nytorv to Sortedam Lake, passing Rosenborg Castle and Gardens, Nørreport Station and Copenhagen Botanic Gardens on the way....
and runs along the southern boundary of Rosenborg Castle Garden, passing Sølvgade and the Nyboder
Nyboder
Nyboder is a historic row house district of former Naval barracks in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was planned and first built by Christian IV to accommodate a need for housing for the personnel of the rapidly growing Royal Danish Navy and their families during that time...
district of old naval barracks before finally joining Øster Voldgade
Øster Voldgade
Øster Voldgade , together with Vester Voldgade and Nørre Voldgade, forms a succession of large streets which arches around thhe central and oldest part of the Zealand side of Copenhagen. Denmark...
close to Østerport Station
Østerport station
Østerport station is a railway station in Østerbro, Copenhagen, Denmark. It is served by most S-trains, Kystbanen and other regional trains, as well as some InterCity trains.The station is used by approximately 30,000 passengers each day.-History:...
. The David Collection
The David Collection
The David Collection is a museum of fine and applied art in Copenhagen, Denmark, built around the private collections of lawyer, businessman and art collector C.L. David....
, a museum which displays a large collection of Islamic art
Islamic art
Islamic art encompasses the visual arts produced from the 7th century onwards by people who lived within the territory that was inhabited by or ruled by culturally Islamic populations...
as well as Danish and European fine and applied arts, is based at No. 30.
Origins
Copenhagen Fire of 1795
The Copenhagen Fire of 1795 started Friday the June 5, around 3 p.m. at the Navy’s old base at Gammelholm in the fleets warehouse for coal and barrels...
, which destroyed large parts of the city, there was an urgent need for new housing. Instigated by his consort, Crown Princess Marie Sophie
Marie Sophie of Hesse-Kassel
thumb|Queen Marie Sophie portrayed by [[Cornelius Høyer]] Marie Sophie Frederikke of Hesse-Kassel was Queen Consort of Denmark and Norway. She also served as Regent of Denmark in 1814–1815.-Background:...
, Crown Prince Frederik (VI)
Frederick VI of Denmark
Frederick VI reigned as King of Denmark , and as king of Norway .-Regent of Denmark:Frederick's parents were King Christian VII and Caroline Matilda of Wales...
made a 89 ell
Ell
An ell , is a unit of measurement, approximating the length of a man's arm.Several national forms existed, with different lengths, includingthe Scottish ell ,the Flemish ell ,the French ell...
(55.8 meter) strip along the southern boundary of Rosenborg Castle Garden available for the establishment of a new street which was to connect Gothersgade to Sølvgade.
The new street was named Kronprinsessegade in honour of Crown Princess Marie Sophie, who had first conceived the idea. At the same time, the name complied with the practice in the area of naming streets after Danish territorial possessions, royalty and the upper classes, including nobility, which originated in the 1649 plan for the New Copenhagen extension of the fortified city.
City architect Peter Meyn (1749–1808) and Jørgen Henrich Rawert (1751–1823) were put in charge of the project which began in 1799. The row of houses along the south side of the street was completed over the next two decades. The architect Johan Martin Quist
Johan Martin Quist
Johan Martin Quist or Qvist was a Danish architect who made a significant contribution to the city of Copenhagen. Together with those of Andreas Hallander, his classically styled buildings form part of the legacy of 19th century Danish Golden Age architects who reconstructed areas of the old town...
is one of the large contributors to this oldest section of Kronprinsessegade with No. 6 (1803–06), 8-10 (1803–04), 12-14 (1805–06), 16 (1806–07) and 18 (1807–13). Andreas Hallander
Andreas Hallander
Andreas Hallander was a Danish master carpenter and architect who made a significant contribution to the city of Copenhagen. Together with the buildings of Johan Martin Quist, his classically styled apartment houses form part of the legacy of 19th century Danish Golden Age architects who...
designed No. 20 (1805–06, with J. H. Rawert), 22, 24 (1807–08, with A. C. Wilcken) and Kronprinsessegades Barracks at No. 46 (extension 1805-07, with J. H. Rawert).
Wrought-iron grill and pavilions
Peter Meyn was also charged with the design of a barrier towards the royal garden along the north side of the new street. He had just returned from ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he had been struck by the Pont-Neuf with its iron grill and many small shops, and the street life which surrounded it. With this as an inspiration, he designed the new grill along the edge of the park with 12 small shop pavilions, each six ells wide, six ells deep and six ells tall. It was completed in 1806.
Among the goods which were sold from the pavilions were cakes and stockings. Later they were made available to architects and artists from the Royal Arts Academy as a sort of grant.
Extension and later history
From 1869 on, parts of NyboderNyboder
Nyboder is a historic row house district of former Naval barracks in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was planned and first built by Christian IV to accommodate a need for housing for the personnel of the rapidly growing Royal Danish Navy and their families during that time...
had been demolished and from 1870 to 1872 the Workers' Building Society
Arbejdernes Byggeforening
Arbejdernes Byggeforening was a Danish building society founded in Copenhagen in 1865 to provide healthy homes for the city's workers, especially those from the Burmeister & Wain factory...
constructed their third development of terraced houses in the grounds. The first of the building society's developments was designed by Frederik Bøttger. It became a sort of pilot project for the later, larger and more prominent developments built to his design, the Kartoffelrækkerne in Østerbro
Østerbro
Østerbro is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located just north of the city centre, outside the old city gate Østerport which, after it was moved around 1700, used to be located close to present-day Østerport Station...
and the Humleby
Humleby
Humleby is an enclave of terraced houses situated next to the Carlsberg area in the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. They were built between 1885 to 1891 by the Worker's Building Society to provide healthy housing for the workers at Burmeister & Wain.The area consists of 235 three storey...
in Vesterbro.
In 1931 a property was demoished in Sølvgade to continue Kronprinsessegade eastwards, past Nyboder and the Building Society's houses, all the way to Øster Voldgade at Nyboder School.
Architecture
The houses along the oldest section of the street, facing Rosenborg Castle Garden, are mostly built in a NeoclassicalNeoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style typical of the construction boom during the decades after the Great Fire of 1795 and which still dominates in much of central Copenhagen. The architect, architectural writer and urban planner Steen Eiler Rasmussen
Steen Eiler Rasmussen
Steen Eiler Rasmussen was a Danish architect and urban planner who was a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, and a prolific writer of books and poetry...
has given the following characterisation of the street:
Kronprinsessegade today
Kronprinsessegade is today generally a quiet residential street with the David CollectionThe David Collection
The David Collection is a museum of fine and applied art in Copenhagen, Denmark, built around the private collections of lawyer, businessman and art collector C.L. David....
as its main point of interest for visitors.
The pavilions are today rented out by the Palaces and Properties Agency on two-years leases with possibility of extension. There is a required minimum opening time of 20 hours per week. They need to be relevant to the site's history while being placed in a contemporary context. A larger building in the gardens, halfway along the street, houses the restaurant Orangeriet which has a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
.
External links
- Guide to the pavilions (in Danish)
- The David Collection, official website (in English)