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| The clock tower of the custom house Source: www.aok.dk |
Custom house,
ferry terminal or restaurant? What is this green-roofed building with the clock
tower in the harbour?
Facts
Built: 1937Address: Havnegade 44
Background
Constructed in
1937, the Custom House (Gammelholm Toldkammer) is an outstanding architectural
endeavor located in the Copenhagen harbour. Lying amidst the center of the
harbor, the Slotsholm Canal, the Holmen Canal and Nyhavn, it offers a
breathtaking view of the surrounding area. The oval building has also often
been called the ‘pencil case’ due to its oval shape.
History
Built in a
functionalist style after the plans of the Danish architect and royal building
inspector, Kristoffer Nyrop, its original purpose (as the name suggests) was to
act as a clearance for customs on goods to and from Sweden. Later on, the
Scandilines took over the building and used it as a ferry terminal up until
2002. Today, the building is called 'The Standard' by the locals and houses a
jazz club, two bars, and three restaurants.
Today
Formerly called the ‘Custom House’, it now goes by the name of ‘The Standard’ as a tribute to the Art Deco building designed by Kristoffer Nyrop. Today, visitors can enjoy both Nordic and Indian food while listening to some of the best local, regional and international jazz artists. The Almanak and Studio both serve primarily traditional Nordic food with the former offering its famous Danish open-faced sandwiches and the latter serving food prepared in an open kitchen. The Studio has also been named ‘Denmark’s third best restaurant’ by the White Guide Nordic 2015. The third restaurant in question, Verandah, mostly serves a wide variety of contemporary Indian food using some local and regional ingredients. The jazz club can seat up to 68 people and pays tribute to Copenhagen’s position in jazz history by staying true to its Danish/Nordic musical roots while playing music constructed specifically for ‘The Standard’ |
| The facade from the harbour Source: www.wikimedia.org |
