First encountered – at the end of picture perfect Nyhavn; at the end of elegant Sankt Annæ Plads; or from its glassy cousin Operaen across the harbor – Skuespilhuset is a showstopper.
Due to its architects’ consideration of scale, proportion and materials, the Royal Danish Playhouse harmoniously contributes to its historic Frederiksstaden home. Its wide wood promenade directs theatregoers and admirers to its glittering façade of warm wood, copper, glass and slim, deep brown, custom-made bricks. Visitors are drawn through its open restaurant, softly lit like a starry night sky, deep into the building, where three stages – Den Store Scene, Portscenen and Det Røde Rum – accommodate around 1,000 people in custom-made theatre seats. Above this, a green glass upper story, home to the costume department, rehearsal rooms, offices and canteen, glows with life after dark. At the building’s center, the stage tower soars 35 meters, its radiant copper-clad facade a solid answer to the fluid, glistening water.
A leading light in sustainability, Skuespilhuset’s meaningful technical solutions reduce its overall energy consumption by nearly 40 percent, through initiatives like using seawater for cooling and repurposing excess heat from the building’s users and lighting.
