Reconstruction set to begin on Copenhagen’s fire-damaged Old Stock Exchange landmark
Workers are set to begin the reconstruction of the 400-year-old Old Stock Exchange in Copenhagen five months after a devastating fire destroyed more than half of the building
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Five months after a devastating fire destroyed more than half of Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange, workers are set to begin the reconstruction of the 400-year-old building to return it to its former glory.
On Thursday, King Frederik X of Denmark will lay a “foundation stone” within part of a red brick wall that survived the mid-April blaze, commencing a yearslong reconstruction plan.
“We will do this as fast as possible to have Boersen ready for the Copenhageners, for the Danes, for the world again,” said Lars Daugaard Jepsen, head of reconstruction at Denmark’s Chamber of Commerce, which owns the building. He used the Danish name for the stock exchange building.
On Friday, there will be an open day event where visitors can come and see what is left of the downtown exchange. Construction started in 1615 and first opened in 1624. It is considered a leading example of Dutch Renaissance style in Denmark.
In the early morning of April 16, a violent fire tore through the building, a major tourist attraction. The blaze toppled its green copper roof and iconic dragon-tail spire. Two days later, a large section of the building’s outer wall collapsed inwards.
As the fire raged, many, including ordinary people, ventured in to rescue artworks and around 90% of the cultural objects were rescued from the fire.
Authorities have yet to reveal the cause of the fire, but it's believed to have started on the building’s roof, which had been wrapped in scaffolding because of ongoing renovation work to be completed for its anniversary in 2024.
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