page_title: Architecture of Denmark
section_title: Functionalism
hierarchical_section_title: Architecture of Denmark / 20th century / Functionalism
caption_attribution_description: Dansk: Århus Kommunehospital, Kedelhuset med Teknisk Afdeling og laboratorier. Færdigt i 1935.
context_page_description: The architecture of Denmark has its origins in the Viking period, richly revealed by archaeological finds. It became firmly established in the Middle Ages when first Romanesque, then Gothic churches and cathedrals sprang up throughout the country. It was during this period that, in a country with little access to stone, brick became the construction material of choice, not just for churches but also for fortifications and castles.
  Under the influence of Frederick II and Christian IV, both of whom had been inspired by the castles of France, Dutch and Flemish designers were brought to Denmark, initially to improve the country's fortifications, but increasingly to build magnificent royal castles and palaces in the Renaissance style. In parallel, the half-timbered style became popular for ordinary dwellings in towns and villages across the country.
  Late in his reign, Christian IV also became an early proponent of Baroque which was to continue for a considerable time with many impressive buildings both in the capital and the provinces.
context_section_description: Functionalism, which began in the 1930s, relied on rational architecture making use of bricks, concrete, iron and glass, preferably to meet social needs. Its main proponents in Denmark were Frits Schlegel, Mogens Lassen, Vilhelm Lauritzen and, especially Arne Jacobsen with his Bellavista developments north of Copenhagen. Another of Jacobsen's masterpieces was the Aarhus City Hall which he designed together with Erik Møller in 1937 and completed in 1948. The tower is 60 meters tall and the tower clock face has a diameter of 7 meters. The building is made of concrete plated with marble from Porsgrunn in Norway.
  A more traditional approach was taken by Kay Fisker who, together with C. F. Møller, designed buildings for Aarhus University from 1931 onwards.
caption: Danish functionalism. Detail from Århus Kommunehospital (1935) by C.F. Møller. Affordable materials, full focus on functionality and a harmonious and simplistic appearance with no decorative structures whatsoever.
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