Inevitable- a rainy day in Copenhagen. Having stayed outside a majority of the time- riding bikes, enjoying Torvehallerne, and a must of being on the water- it was time to hide away inside somewhere to weather a few showers. A great friend, and Dane to boot, referenced the Glyptoteket as one of his favorite places in Copenhagen and so off we went.
Founded by brewing magnate Carl Jacobsen- one could tell that no expense was spared, in fact it seems like every place that richness could be brought upon was delivered.
What’s interesting is the thread of life and death through all the times of humanity- from ancient Egypt and Greece to current day. Many of the artifacts in this museum were death oriented- coffins and mummies. In a way, we as humans bring art to reflect on just a few key moments of our existence- ensuring we are reminded that while our bodies do not survive, that art can and does. (p.s. mummies are creepy as shit and I had a major deja vu walking down those stairs to the mummies in this place- like something from a recurring nightmare I know I’ve had before.)
I appreciated the care taken to bring in natural light into all of these spaces- especially in the Great Hall (the key image at the top). A lovely cafe in the Great Hall is not to be missed. It’s the best chance to take in the magnificent space- not just the sight, but for me it was the sound of the Great Hall. Just something about the sound…
The color palette of this building is worth noting looking back at the pictures- from the red so similar to that at Kastellet to the saturated yellow reflecting likely the actual pigment yellow they might be able to achieve centuries ago.
Copenhagen truly abounds with contemporary and historical architecture and I dare say that if I lived here, I would be a member of the Glyptoteket. Any opportunity to get here early or late, with few people and to be surrounded by the creations of those from so long ago- what lessons have we learned and what mistakes do we continue to make?
Address: Dantes Plads 7, 1556 København, Denmark
Website: Glyptoteket: The Architecture
ofallthespaces 