COPENHAGEN, DENMARK \u2014 Five months after a devastating fire destroyed more than half of Copenhagen\u2019s Old Stock Exchange, workers are set to begin the reconstruction of the 400-year-old building to return it to its former glory.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, King Frederik X of Denmark will lay a \u201cfoundation stone\u201d within part of a red brick wall that survived the mid-April blaze, commencing a yearslong reconstruction plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will do this as fast as possible to have Boersen ready for the Copenhageners, for the Danes, for the world again,\u201d said Lars Daugaard Jepsen, head of reconstruction at Denmark\u2019s Chamber of Commerce, which owns the building. He used the Danish name for the stock exchange building.<\/p>\n
On Friday, there will be an open day event where visitors can come and see what is left of the downtown exchange. Construction started in 1615 and first opened in 1624. It is considered a leading example of Dutch Renaissance style in Denmark.<\/p>\n
In the early morning of April 16, a violent fire tore through the building, a major tourist attraction. The blaze toppled its green copper roof and iconic dragon-tail spire. Two days later, a large section of the building\u2019s outer wall collapsed inwards.<\/p>\n
As the fire raged, many, including ordinary people, ventured in to rescue artworks and around 90% of the cultural objects were rescued from the fire.<\/p>\n
Authorities have yet to reveal the cause of the fire, but it’s believed to have started on the building\u2019s roof, which had been wrapped in scaffolding because of ongoing renovation work to be completed for its anniversary in 2024.<\/p>\n
Instead of a renovated building, it’s now a ruin.<\/p>\n
But there are detailed records of its design.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a lot of pictures, we have a lot of papers, we have a lot of knowledge about this building,\u201d Daugaard Jepsen told The Associated Press, during a recent site tour. \u201cThat\u2019s also why we are very optimistic of rebuilding this place.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said they want to use the same materials that were available in the construction 400 years ago.<\/p>\n
Before the fire, the chamber of commerce had ordered 80,000 bricks \u2014 handmade in Germany and burnt in coal-fired ovens \u2014 for renovation work. That order has now increased to 800,000.<\/p>\n
The wood used in the 17th century came from a Swedish Baltic Sea island and was already 160 years old when brought to Denmark, Daugaard Jepsen said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are looking for about 800 to 1,000 trees on Gotland, because we will use the same materials,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Since April, workers have cleared more than 1,000 tons of debris after the fire, which was reminiscent of the April 2019 blaze at the 800-year-old old Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.<\/p>\n
But the new construction won\u2019t be exactly as before, Daugaard Jepsen said, adding the interior has changed eight times during its history and will take on a new appearance again.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur task is to look forward,\u201d he said. The aim is \u201cto make a building that will stand for at least 400 years.\u201d<\/p>\n
The reconstruction cost and a date for when it is expected to be completed have yet to be revealed. But Daugaard Jepsen said the five years it took to rebuild Notre Dame is a \u201cvery good guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will do it as fast as we can,\u201d he said with a smile.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK \u2014 Five months after a devastating fire destroyed more than half of Copenhagen\u2019s Old Stock Exchange, workers are set to begin the reconstruction of the 400-year-old building to return it to its former glory. On Thursday, King Frederik X of Denmark will lay a \u201cfoundation stone\u201d within part of a red brick wall […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":235308,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_expiration-date-status":"saved","_expiration-date":1758849360,"_expiration-date-type":"delete","_expiration-date-categories":[],"_expiration-date-options":{"expireType":"delete","id":394171}},"categories":[9],"tags":[31422,14445,1071,86713,26996,3692],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n