When Børsen, Copenhagen‘s historical former stock exchange, caught fire in 2024, locals looked in despair as one of the city’s oldest and most revered structures – dating from the 17th century – went up in flames, including its instantly recognisable dragon-shaped spire. Two years on, and Dansk Erhverv, the Danish Chamber of Commerce, is now offering a rare view into the construction site, where teams are hard at work repairing the much-loved city monument. A new visitor centre has just opened at the Børsen site, designed by local architecture studio JAC.
(Image credit: Longfei Tōsei Wang )
Explore the Børsen visitor centre in Copenhagen
The centre takes the form of a space made of 15 industrial containers, linked up together. The resulting interior contains an exhibition, telling the story of the Børsen, the works and findings, as well as the different crafts and skills involved in its restoration – while hinting at the project’s future. The project engages with specialists on all the materials in the scheme’s original palette, from brick and sandstone to copper and timber.
(Image credit: Longfei Tōsei Wang )
Indeed, ‘Materiality plays a central role in the exhibition,’ the architects explain. ‘Steel cut from the stacked containers remains exposed and forms displays for architectural models and drawings. Bespoke furniture incorporates fragments recovered from the fire, alongside timber seating elements that reference the warm interiors of the building.
(Image credit: Longfei Tōsei Wang )
‘Visitors encounter the building’s material history directly. Around 40 per cent of the original bricks from Børsen have been cleaned and prepared for reuse, while large quantities of iron fittings and architectural fragments are being carefully documented and restored for reintegration into the building. Many of the sandstone sculptures from the façade also survived the fire and will return to their original positions as part of the reconstruction.’
(Image credit: Longfei Tōsei Wang )
Importantly, large openings in the containers’ sides reveal broad views of the building site surrounding the visitor centre. This way, guests can experience and directly compare old and new, conceptual and the real, day-to-day goings-on at a busy construction site.
(Image credit: Longfei Tōsei Wang )
Specialising in architecture, scenography and art, JAC studios was the perfect design partner to orchestrate this coexistence. The practice’s past works include the Wadden Sea Centre exhibition in Denmark and the Royal Armory Museum at the Stockholm Royal Castle in Sweden.
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