Krudthuset
Krudthuset
Krudthuset
Krudthuset
Previous
Next
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • Go to text

Gunpowder Magazine

Historic architecture

The architecture for the listed gunpowder magazine, Krudthuset, tells its own story. The building dates from 1779 and was originally used for storing gunpowder for the Navy. The building is marked by many different renovations over the years. With our transformation, the building receives new life so that it appears calm, inviting, and well-maintained while retaining its original architectural qualities.

Krudthuset is the perfect spot for culture and dining for locals and tourists alike. The house is in front of the newer building, Twister, and overlooks scenic Amager Beach Park in Copenhagen. We have transformed the building so that it can accommodate many guests in terms of organization, acoustics, and design. When Krudthuset was listed in 1984, much of the building’s original interior had already been changed. In the project, we bring the gunpowder magazine back to its original expression by re-establishing the connection to the first floor through an open floor deck. Furthermore, we have exposed the original wooden structures to let the building’s raw expression stand out.

Breathing New Life into History

The building has a raw and enclosed character that emphasizes the house’s original purpose as a powder magazine. Our transformation of the façade maintains and develops this expression so that the house continues to stand out in the urban landscape for its unique, historic qualities. We have given the old house new plaster, roof tiles, and cast-iron windows that preserve the house’s heavy appearance while optimizing daylight conditions. To ensure natural daylight throughout the building, we have placed new windows centrally in the gable on the first floor.

Historic Gunpowder Magazine

Krudthuset is one of six robust powder houses that were built on Amager towards the end of the 18th century as part of Copenhagen’s fortifications. Following a devastating explosion in a gunpowder magazine near Østerport in 1779, it was decided to build new powder houses outside Copenhagen’s ramparts. Krudthuset was designed by Wilhelm von Hutt and Ernst Peymann and it is one of four remaining powder magazines on Amager outside the ramparts. The gunpowder magazine’s cultural-historical value is particularly related to the building’s architecture, which is representative of the six original gunpowder magazines and thus an important part of the history of the fortifications of Copenhagen. The listed gunpowder magazines are recognizable in the urban landscape by their tiled roofs, high ceilings, simple grey facades, and small windows.

Area
520 m2 / 5 597 ft2
Year
2016
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
Collaborators
JPE rådgivning / Arktek Rådgivende Ingeniører / Diener & Diener Architekten