231 / 263
224
KØBENHAVNS RAADHUS
b u le, in w h ich th e e y e im m ed ia tely fa lls u p o n M ad am e A g n e s
S lo tt-M o iler’s sem icircu lar, p ain ted lim e sto n e relief, o v er th e in
n er door, rep resen tin g the c ity ’s m o st a n cien t co u n cil, a m eetin g ,
in th e 13th cen tu ry , o f ald erm en p resid ed o v er b y th e b ish o p ’s
sheriff; a b o v e, th ere is th e ap oth egm , a lso a p rod u ct o f th e artist’s
g en iu s, „S aa er B y som B o rg er“ i. e. „L ike C itizen, lik e C ity “. T h is
terse a p h orism is rep eated m a n y tim es, b o th in sid e and o u tsid e
th e b u ild in g , n o w in full an d n o w in d ica ted b y th e four in itial
letters (Fig. 97. 22g).
O n th e o n e sid e o f th e v estib u le is th e en q u iry office, an d on
th e o th er th e m esse n g e r ’s room . R o u n d th ree sid e s o f th e h all,
w h ic h is en tered from th e v estib u le, ru n s a clo sed corridor w ith
w in d o w s o p en in g to th e h all. F rom th is corridor th ere is a c c e ss
to th e o ffices, an d a lso to tw o w in d in g sta irca ses w h ic h lead up
to th e co rrid o rs o f th e first floor, w h ic h co n ta in d o o rs o p en in g
o n th e b a lc o n ie s (Fig. 233). In th e h all th e w h ite lim e sto n e is
th e p red om in a n t effect in th e tw o lo w e s t sto ries, b u t, a b o v e, th e
b rick w o rk a sse r ts itself, an d th e n in ete en b old gran ite co lu m n s,
from w h ic h sp rin g th e a rch es o f the se c o n d sto ry , c o n stitu te th e
m o st p rom in en t featu res o f th e th ree sid e s th at th e y grace (Fig.
234-40). T h e rem ain in g sid e, th at o f th e C en tral b u ild in g, is in
th e prin cip al floor — th e a ssem b ly room — m ade rich b y co lo u r
in g and gild ing. T h e h all, w h ic h is 23,70 m. w id e, 44,25 m. lo n g ,
a n d 18,83
in h eig h t to th e co rn ice, is, in v irtu e o f its ca p a
cio u s d im e n sio n s, in an em in en t d egree ad ap ted to a ccom o d a te
a great a ssem b la g e o f p eo p le o n cerem o n ial o c c a sio n s. In th e
lim e sto n e frieze w h ic h d em a rca tes th e first an d se c o n d sto ries,
th ere are ea rth en w a re in scr ip tio n s b riefly an d terse ly reco u n tin g
th e p rin cip al e v e n ts in th e h isto ry o f C o p en h a g en (Fig. 275-78).
T h e h all is co v ered b y an iro n w o rk co n stru ctio n w h ic h carries
a n u p p er roof o f rou gh p la te g la ss and a lo w e r ro o f o f sta in ed
g la ss. A t ea ch sid e o f th e C en tral b u ild in g there is a p a ssa g e b y
w h ic h th e prin cip al sta irca ses are rea ch ed (Fig. 203-5). In th e
C en tral b u ild in g itse lf are tw o sm a ll d oo rs w h ic h lead to th e tw o
w in d in g sta ir c a se s, b y w h ic h th e sto ry is rea ch ed , w h e r e are
situ a ted th e m u seum an d a rch iv e room s (Fig. 241-44). W h ilst
com m u n ica tio n b e tw e e n th e v a rio u s a p artm en ts of th e C ity H a ll
is e a sy an d c o n v e n ie n t th rou gh ou t, th e cerem o n ia l ch am b ers in
th e front b u ild in g, h o w ev er, lie som e w h a t apart, an d in order to
rea ch th em from th e m ain en tra n ce, the h all m u st first b e tra v
ersed , a n d th e p rin cip al sta irca se a sc en d e d to th e se c o n d floor;
th is com p a ra tive iso la tio n is th e resu lt of th e a rch itect’s d elib e
rate d esig n to p la ce th e se a p artm en ts in a p o sitio n w h e r e th ey
w o u ld n o t b e affected b y th e daily b u sin e s s of th e b u ild in g
(F ig. 249-51).
T h e p illared hall, w ith h igh oak p a n els, b efore th e o ffices, w a s
d esig n a ted a s a m em orial ch am ber, to com m em o ra te th e m en and
w om en , w h o , th ro u g h their m erits or se rv ices, h a v e o ccu p ied a
p lace o f h o n o u r in th e h isto ry o f th e city. In the d oors, w h ic h
o p en on th e sta irca ses lea d in g up to th e g a lleries o f th e b a n
q u etin g h a ll, are su r p a ssin g ly b eau tifu l carved oak reliefs b y
H arald S lo tt-M o ller, rep resen tin g a m on k listen in g sp ellb o u n d
to th e en ch a n tin g so n g o f a bird, th u s sym b o lisin g , in a b eau tifu l
a n d eth ereal m anner, relea se from reality and th e com m o n p la ce
o f daily life (Fig. 252-55).
In th e w in g s, ad jacen t to th e prin cip al sta irca se, are, situ a ted
o p p o site to ea ch other, th e ap artm en ts o f th e C hairm an o f the
C o u n cil and th e C h ief R ep resen ta tiv e; th e y are oak p a n elled ,
w ith carved w in d o w se a ts an d coffered c y p r e ss w o o d c eilin g s
and are fitted w ith m a h o g a n y furniture and silk h a n g in g s; th e
oth er a p a rtm en ts in the p rin cip al floor h a ve raftered ceilin g s. T o
th e tw o ap a rtm en ts ju st m en tio n ed there are c o n v e n ie n t w a itin g
room s. C lo se b y , in o n e o f the w in g s, is the large C om m ittee room
o f th e C o u n cil, and, in the oth er w in g , a co rresp o n d in g ap artm en t
u sed a s th e m eetin g -ro om o f th e ch ief rep resen ta tiv e; b o th are
fitted w ith oak furniture, and silk h a n g in g s o v er oak p a n elled
w a lls. F arth er in th e o n e w in g is th e library, and, co rre sp o n d
in g ly , in th e o th er w in g , is th e h a n d som e, b ea u tifu lly fu rn ish ed
m eetin g room o f th e m agistracy. O n o n e sid e o f th e b a n q u etin g
h all in th e front b u ild in g is th e read in g room o f th e C ity H all
library, an d on th e o th er sid e the a n te-ro om to th e m agistracy.
T h e w a lls o f th is ap artm en t are a d o rn ed w ith ta p estry d e
p ictin g sc e n e s in D a n ish leg en d a ry sto ry , an d w e r e ex ecu ted
after co lo u red d raw in g s, m ade b y L o r en s F ro lich , 50 y e a r s ago,
for an Illu strated H isto ry o f D enm ark (Fig. 256-67).
T h e b a n q u e tin g h a ll is a little o v e r 38,29 m. in le n g th , a g o o d
10,67 m. w id e , an d 9,20 m. h igh . It is en tered th r o u g h six m a h o g
a n y d o o rs in m arb le fram es (F ig. 249. 271); it h a s a p a rq u etry floor
o f A m erica n p in e, a n d is oak p a n elled to a certa in h eig h t, a b o v e
w h ic h th e w a lls a p p ea r in w h ite , w a itin g for th e tim e w h e n th e y
sh a ll rec e iv e a rtistic treatm en t, a n d co n tr ib u te to th e m a jesty o f
th e ch am ber. E a c h o f th e sm a ller sid e s h a s a g a llery , an d th e
ceilin g is b u ilt of p in e, p a in ted a n d g ild ed . In th e cen tre o f th e
b a ck w a ll th ere is a platform , w ith a b a ck h a n g in g , a n d su r
m o u n ted w ith a ca n o p y , an d u n d er th e c e ilin g th ere is a frieze
lik e ro w o f p a in ted sh ie ld s b ea rin g th e a rm s o f D a n ish p r o v in
cial to w n s, w h ile a b o v e th e d o o r to th e b a lc o n y are p la ced
sh ie ld s b ea rin g th e arm s o f Ic ela n d , G reen la n d , th e F a ro e I s
la n d s, a n d th e W e s t In d ia n isla n d , p o s s e s s io n s o f D enm a rk (F ig.
268-72). T h e ch a irs an d sid e b o a r d s are o f ca rv ed oak , p a in ted
an d gild ed ; o n th e la tter sta n d a rticles o f p o rcela in w a r e m ad e
in th e tw o C o p en h a g en P o r c e la in fa cto ries. R e d is th e p r e d o
m in a n t co lo u r th r o u g h o u t th e h all, a n d th e ch eerfu l effect is
h eig h te n e d b y b o u n te o u s g ild in g an d w a v in g b a n n ers.
In its c o n stru ctio n th e C ity H a ll is e s se n tia lly n a tio n a l, as
th e b u ild in g m aterials, su c h a s b rick , g ra n ite from B o r n h o lm ,
a n d lim e sto n e are h om e p ro d u cts, w h ils t th e u n d erta k in g itse lf
h a s rea cted b en e fic ia lly o n D a n ish h a n d icra ft; th e b e st m a teria ls
h a v e in n o ca se b e e n to o g o o d , an d , th r o u g h o u t, th e m ech a n ica l
a n d a rtistic w o r k h a s b e e n e x e c u te d in th e b e st m a n n er w ith
th e n o b le st spirit.
W ith p a rd o n a b le prid e in sc r ip tio n s o n th e p o w erfu l tra v erse
b eam s in th e C o u n cil ch am b er record th e fact th a t th e y h a v e
b een m ad e from th e tru n k s o f fir trees, g r o w n in a p ark (D y r e -
h a v en ) n o t far from C o p en h a g en , a n d th e a rtist h im se lf ta k e s
prid e in p o in tin g o u t th a t th e n in e te e n im p o sin g sh a fts o f th e
c o lu m n s in th e se c o n d sto r y o f th e h a ll, w e r e g r o w n in th e
flat co u n try of D enm a rk .
T h e en d e a v o u r o f th e co n stru cto r in th e ca rry in g o u t o f th e
p la n h a s b een to fa sh io n e v e r y e sse n tia l c o n str u c tiv e fea tu re in
su c h m a n n er th a t its m ea n in g sh o u ld b e ap p a ren t to e v e r y b e
h o ld er, an d it h a s b e e n n o in sig n ific a n t ta sk for h im to d e v ise th a t
su c h c o n stru ctiv e a n d d eco ra tiv e e s se n tia ls sh o u ld in d e p e n d e n tly
a sse r t th e m s e lv e s a cco rd in g to th eir im p o rta n ce. In n o r e sp e c t
h a s th ere b e e n a ca d em ic fa llin g b a ck u p o n c o n v e n tio n a l a n d
h a ck n ied cla ssic a l or r e n a issa n c e form s. A s a w h o le a n d in its
d eta ils th e C ity H a ll o f C o p en h a g en sh o u ld p ro cla im its m issio n ,
in its o w n la n g u a g e.
T h e id ea ls an d o b je cts o f th e c o n stru cto r h a v e b e e n carried
ou t w ith s u c c e s s b y th e sc u lp to r s a n d d eco ra tiv e a rtists w h o
h a v e w o rk ed u n d er him . E v e r y o n e w ill u n d ersta n d , w ith w h a t
p ro fo u n d m ea n in g th e large g o ld e n effig y o f th e fo u n d er o f th e
city h a s b een p la ced in th e m o st p rom in e n t p o sitio n in th e p rin
cip al facad e o v er th e b a lc o n y , from w h ic h p e o p le a ssem b le d in
fron t o f th e C ity H a ll can b e a d d ressed o n so le m n o c c a s io n s:
a s if th e gu a rd ian sp irit o f th e g rea t p rela te w e r e e v e r p resen t.
A ll th e d eco ra tio n s o f th e b u ild in g h a v e a sim ila r sp irit. A t th e
co rn ers of th e rear fa ca d e sta n d th e fig u res o f a c o n sta b le a n d a
firem an, em b lem a tic o f O rder an d V ig ila n ce, a n d o n th e ro o f o f
th e fron t facad e are six w a tc h m e n , w h ilst th e fig u res o f ic e -b e a r s,
h ig h a b o v e, ty p ify G reen la n d , o n e o f D en m a rk ’s p o s s e s s io n s . B y
th e en tra n ce to th e D ep a rtm en t o f th e G u a rd ia n s of th e P oor is
a group rep resen tin g fodd ering d eer; o v er th e door to th e o ffices
w h e r e O ld -a g e R e lie f is d isp e n se d , is a h en sp re a d in g h er pro
te c tin g w in g s o v er h er c h ic k e n s (F ig. 181-86); on th e „ T o w n sm e n
S ta ir c a s e “, th e cra ftsm en w h o h a v e erected th e C ity ’s p rin cip a
b u ild in g ; in th e p a ss a g e s an d corridors are d eco ra tiv e p a in tin g s,
th e m o tiv es of w h ic h are ta k en from se a w e e d a n d th e lo w er m a
rin e a n im a ls, rem in d in g th e sp ecta to r th a t D enm a rk is a m aritim e
k in gdom , a n d b rin g in g , — a s th e b u ild er on o n e occa sio n w ro te —
„the ta ste of th e se a -s a lt to th e lip s“ (F ig. 142-46). F o rm in g a part
of th e sc h em e of d ecoration, b u t of a d ifferen t order, are in sc r ip
tions, co n sistin g p artly of ter se a p h orism s, a n d p a rtly of fam iliar
n am es, for, a s th e b u ild er h o ld s, th e en d of D eco ra tio n is n ot to
p le a se th e e y e alon e, b u t a lso to a p p ea l to th e th o u g h t a n d feelin g
of th e sp ectator. T h e frieze in scrip tio n s in th e h all ran k am o n g st
th e m ost b eau tifu l of th is c la ss of orn am en tation .
In colour, in form, a n d in w ritte n m e ssa g e , th e d eco ra tio n of
th e C ity H a ll, u p on w h ic h so m u ch th o u g h t a n d so m u ch care
h a s b een ex p en d ed , is p o p u la r in th e h ig h e st s e n s e ; it ca p tiv a te s