I've only been to Denmark (Copenhagen) once. Although it was a short business trip of sorts, I really enjoyed my time there. I was especially captivated by the Black Diamond, here are some pics. (BTW, I don't know if there is an easier way to display more than one photograph besides linking to my Flickr.com photostream).

These shots were taken on a Canon PowerShot A95 (5.0 meg pixels), mostly just diddled the levels and contrast in photoshop.

The Raddisson in Copenhagen is meant to be the world's first "boutique hotel".

Here's another view of these great towers, which stand watch over most of the bridges in Copenhagen. I suppose someone lives in them.

A major road goes "thru" the building. You can see the chandelier in the lower footbridge.

Here is the foyer, there is a moody mural on the ceiling that people would just flop down on the leather benches and get lost in. The light inside this space was amazing, as were the sightlines of the interiors and exteriors.

Although I noticed some faults in the concrete panels elsewhere, these marble(?) panels were flawless. I think the nickname is apt.

As big as this building is, this is more or less the main entrance.

The weight of the building seems to be hanging over you at this point. However, you have to be there to feel all the ways the space moves away along vectors in all directions and for several different reasons.

The great thing to me about this building was the way it combined collosal volumes with monumental densities. There is a cafe down in this corner and it seems that the whole building just floats above it. Never did get that corner seat.

English language link to the whole enchilada:
http://www.kb.dk/kultur/diamant/architecture/

Architects: Schmidt, Hammer and Lassen

The main telephone for The Royal Library is (+45) 33 47 47 47.
The Black Diamond opens at 8 a.m.

FIGURES AND MATERIALS

the Diamond is clad in 2,500 m2 Absolute Black granite, mined in Zimbabwe and cut and polished in northern Italy. Each stone weighs 75 kg

the steel joist in the Atrium, manufactured in Poland, weighs one tonne per metre

the prestressed Atrium facade consists of a system of push rods and traction cables, the load of one vertical system being 10 tonnes

the glass walls of the Reading Rooms, made in Germany, are 6 metres high, 2,4 metres wide and 16 mm thick. Weiching 576 kg each, they are suspended in jaws and guided by a rail set in the floor

the flooring of the balconies, walkways and corridors is oiled maple. Blue Oyster sandstone from Spain is used elsewhere

the bottom of the basin and the walkway of the cascading fountain in front of the main entrance are covered in azobe wood

the height is 29 m from the basement, Rotunden, to the glass ceiling in the Atrium – 24 m from the ground floor

a total of 450 rooms and 800 doors, requiring keys

This shot is from the offical web site. It is a gives some idea of the organic forms and magestic sightlines of the atrium. When I was there, many people were just moving between levels to enjoy the views.

This photo is also from a web site:

"The ceiling of the interior is decorated by the Danish painter Per Kirkeby (born 1938), who is the only Danish painter of his generation having world fame. He did the decoration himself, by hand, like Italian artists painting the ceilings of the Sistine Chapel in Rome."

"His bronze and brick sculptures are spatial projections of these reappraised memories. The bench sculpture in Portikus, as with Per Kirkeby's brick works in general, embodies architecture and atmospheric space."

quotes from:http://www.portikus.de/ArchiveA0060.html

I tried to find some images of Per Kirkeby's brick sculptures but couldn't, apologies. The one I saw in Copenhagen was near the Reuters building and did a good job of giving character to an otherwise bland plaza.

as seen on google earth HI-RES!

Thanks for that. I'm still trying to figure out how I can be part of the KMZ thing on a Mac.

:wondering

gV

Thanks for that. I'm still trying to figure out how I can be part of the KMZ thing on a Mac.

:wondering

gV

No can do... They claim they'll have it soon, and that "some mac users have succeded with a PC emulating software..."
At www.earth.google.com (http://www.earth.google.com)

I was quite disappointed by the sheer mass of the building and its position in context. I did not however get into the building as I was there at night and on a Sunday.

'A road runs through it'

A detailed look on top of the offices.

Office windows out onto the canal

English language link to the whole enchilada:
http://www.kb.dk/kultur/diamant/architecture/

FIGURES AND MATERIALS

the Diamond is clad in 2,500 m2 Absolute Black granite, mined in Zimbabwe and cut and polished in northern Italy. Each stone weighs 75 kg

the steel joist in the Atrium, manufactured in Poland, weighs one tonne per metre

the prestressed Atrium facade consists of a system of push rods and traction cables, the load of one vertical system being 10 tonnes

the glass walls of the Reading Rooms, made in Germany, are 6 metres high, 2,4 metres wide and 16 mm thick. Weiching 576 kg each, they are suspended in jaws and guided by a rail set in the floor

the flooring of the balconies, walkways and corridors is oiled maple. Blue Oyster sandstone from Spain is used elsewhere

the bottom of the basin and the walkway of the cascading fountain in front of the main entrance are covered in azobe wood

the height is 29 m from the basement, Rotunden, to the glass ceiling in the Atrium – 24 m from the ground floor

a total of 450 rooms and 800 doors, requiring keys
here in the philippines, these specs would just remain at the architects sketches... it'll be lucky if it reaches the blueprints! construction cost here is way way high only multi-national corporations can afford it..:(

what a powerful piece of architecture! anyone from copenhagen here? what do you think of it, such a big thing in the city?