KøbenhanskeMotiver_1587-1807

100 THE A SSEM B LY H OU SE OF THE A SIA T IC C O M P A N Y 17 6 1 The A siatic C om pan y w as founded 173 2 and placed on Christian shavn imm ediately east o f Knippelsbro bridge. Here it comm anded a large basin, a shipyard w ith a ship- w a y and grad u ally some considerable buildings. In 1738 Philip de Lange built the assem bly house of the company, w h ich here is seen facin g Strandgade; it w as built like a m ansion in three storeys. 17 8 1 a counterpart was con­ structed, connected to the origin al bu ildin g b y a wall (on the right) w ith a passage (through the gate). The new bu ilding served as a w arehouse, but the front was iden­ tical w ith the A ssem b ly House, and thus the company had acquired a tru ly m onum ental entrance from Strandgade. The long w arehouse w ith the 23 bays in Strandgade standing at right angles to the harbour w as built 1748-50 after Eigtved's plans. A b o ve a base w ith cordon-cornices the building rises w ith its three storeys framed by sym­ m etrical pilaster strip w ith "ea rs” . This is the first ex­ ample of the style w h ich later w as to be so typical of Eigtved. In the roof there are seven attics w ith hoisting apparatus. The tw o bays closest to the harbour were re­ m oved at the turn o f the century. 102 THE N A V A L A R S E N A L c. 176 4 1738 it w as decided to separate the n aval artillery and equipment from the A rm o u ry on Slotsholmen. For this purpose an artificial island w as made b y filling up part o f the harbour east o f M otzm ann 's area (Christiansholm). The builder o f the N a vy , Philip de Lange, made the plans for the arsenal w h ich w as com plete in 174 3. It consists of tw o w in gs standing end to end and connected by a portal. The buildings w ere in tw o storeys, the low er of which was provided w ith arched gatew ays. Pilaster strips 10 1 THE A S IA T IC C O M P A N Y 'S W AREHOU SE c. 176 4

destroyed b y the fire in 1728. T h ey were reconstructed b y J. C. Krieger. In this engravin g the long pilaster-decorated "K omm un itet” buildin g is seen from St. Peders stræde, the tw o pediments have been removed long ago. In the courtyard behind one can make out the corbiestep gables from the old "K omm un itet” building, origin ally built as the B ishop's Palace. Reproduced p. 64. 98 THE R O Y A L THEATRE c. 176 4 O n a lot next to G jethuset Frederik V had in 1748 a new theatre erected; it w as called the D anish Play-house or the D anish Stage. Eigtved had supplied draw ings for the theatre w h ich actu ally looks more like a noblem an's house than a theatre, although the architect w eighed down the buildin g w ith a h eavy mansard roof - an otherw ise rare device in his oeuvre - here probably ow ing to the purpose of the building. In the 1770 s H arsdorff rebuilt the theatre both on the outside and the inside. O n the right w e look along Holmens Canal w ith the n aval main w are­ house and the pavilion housing the collection of models. The ensemble o f buildings constituting the hospital w as situated betw een Am aliegade and Bredgade and had iden­ tical facades on both sides. The pavilions in Bredgade, how ever, had outside flights of stairs, and consequently this v iew must be from Am aliegade - w h ich also is in agreement w ith the w ind m ill on the right, situated near the Esplanade (see cat. no. 49). The plans for the hospital were supplied b y Eigtved, w ho did not, how ever, manage to build the four planned pavilions along either street. Thurah took over the m anagement at the death of Eigtved (1754) and instead built the still standing, larger p avi­ lions, of w h ich tw o can be seen in the engraving. B y means of their sturdiness o f design they form a contrast to E igtved's refined buildings. 99 FREDERIKS H O S P ITA L c. 176 4

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