On the waterfront in Copenhagen where you can visit the Black Diamond

[caption id="attachment_6770" align="alignnone" width="960"] The Black Diamond[/caption] Copenhagen is, by design, a low-rise city where verdigris domes and church spires still dominate the skyline. Since 2007, tall buildings have been restricted by law to the fringes of the Danish capital. Meanwhile, the modestly proportioned modern buildings that have been built in the city centre add the sparkle of glass and reflections of sea and sky to the panorama. Three of the most important of these new structures are on the waterfront - viewing them is a highlight of a boat ride on the harbour. Canal Tours Copenhagen is one option. For details visit: www.stromma.dk. Departures from Gammel Strand. Travel is free with a Copenhagen Card. The Operaen, Copenhagen’s new opera house, is directly opposite Amalienborg Palace on Holmen Island. It was an expensive gift to the Danish people from the head of the Maersk shipping line, whose headquarters also has an unobstructed view of the building. The opera house opened in 2005 to high drama when its architect, Henning Larsen, dismissed the design as “a compromise that failed” (the donor insisted on horizontal metal strings across the bubble-like face; the architect had designed an all-glass facade). The 24-karat gold leaf ceiling of the auditorium also came in for criticism, but its all-important acoustics are agreed to be the best. To judge for yourself, book a ticket online at: www.kglteater.dk/en. The website services the opera house at Holmen, the old opera house (“Old Stage”) at Kongen’s Nytrov, and the Royal Playhouse. Click “What’s on” for productions and guided tours. The Royal Playhouse, surrounded by a floating oak deck “sidewalk”, is an appropriately theatrical structure by Lundgaard & Tegnetsue Architects. Open both to the city and to the harbour, it combines expanses of copper scales, rustic brick and glass walls – to dramatic effect. The foyer and restaurant benefit from the expansive harbour views while its three theatres (with 650, 250 and 100 seats, respectively) are, in contrast, intimate spaces echoing the aesthetics of Italian Renaissance theatres. A backstage tour takes 75 minutes. For details, again visit: www.kglteater.dk/en The Black Diamond, the spectacular extension to the Royal Library by architects Schmidt Hammer Lassen, juts out over the canal. Its polished black granite exterior mirrors the water traffic. The interior boasts a huge ceiling fresco and canal views. The permanent exhibition, Treasures in The Royal Library, currently includes a Gutenberg bible, philosopher Søren Kierkegaard’s notes, and Hans Christian Andersen’s diary along with a selection of valuable artefacts from 1400 years of Denmark’s heritage. The exhibition is updated periodically as the library’s astounding collection is literally inexhaustible. Entry is free and guided tours are available. Open Monday to Saturday. For details check the library’s website: www.kb.dk ... 3 TO NOTE...COPENHAGEN September temperature average: 10-14°C Currency: Danish Krone International airport: Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup ... Nearby Ørestad merits a visit for exciting architecture and design. Ørestad, a new city between Copenhagen Airport and downtown Copenhagen, is a sampler of innovative architecture. AC Hotel Bella Sky Copenhagen, in the Bella Center, is Copenhagen’s own leaning tower. In fact, the hotel is a pair of leaning towers; the two towers incline 15 degrees (the leaning tower in Pisa leans at an angle of 3.97 degrees). Specially trained fitters installed the facade by abseiling down the building. The towers cant away from each other, ensuring that most of the 812 rooms have a view of the Amager Nature Reserve and Copenhagen’s rooftops. Corner rooms provide the most spectacular views, from which the view extends down and out. The hotel’s Skybar, open to the public, is another great vantage point. The architects were 3XN. For details visit: marriott.com Tallet 8 (House 8) by BIG Architects is outstanding - they describe the project as a "three-dimensional neighbourhood rather than an architectural object". Built in two loops, like the figure 8, the building’s lower level is made up of office space and a cafe/restaurant with an outdoor terrace and pastoral views. Upper floors offer a variety of residential living spaces. Tallet 8's design features include a cycle path leading from the ground up to the 10th floor and sloping green roofs designed to echo the green fields surrounding the development. Tallet 8 is 10 minutes from the Bella Center by Metro to Vestamager. VM Mountain is another BIG project in Ørestad. Completed in 2008, it was voted the World’s Best Residential Building at the World Architecture Fair of 2009. Eighty individual apartments are set out in staggered levels over 11 floors, giving each a stunning view of the coastline. Every apartment has a roof garden maintained by an automatic sprinkling system. Even the parking area is worth a look. Northern and western facades of the parking garage depict a 3,000m2 photorealistic mural of Himalayan peaks. VM Mountain is a 12-minute walk from the Bella Center.