Architecture of Aarhus

The Aarhus Cathedral in red brick. Brick is a common and traditional building material in Danish architecture.

The early Viking settlement consisted mainly of wooden structures and pit-houses of which nothing but archaeological artifacts remain.[6] Wood was the primary building material through the middle ages except for ecclesiastical buildings. The first stone churches built in the 11th century were constructed of split and rough granite boulders, limestone, travertine or ashlar such as the crypt church in Our Lady's Priory from 1060.[7] Production of fired brick began in the 13th century and Aarhus Cathedral can be said to be a product of the north European Brick Gothic style resulting from a lack of suitable natural materials commonly used in southern Europe.

Timber-framing was the most common construction method up to the renaissance and the oldest such buildings date to the 1500s. There are numerous half-timbered structures from the 16th to 19th centuries throughout the city although many have had a brick building facing the street added later as the first fire codes were enforced in the 18th-19th century. Brick gradually became the predominant building material in the 19th century and most of the urban developments from the rapid growth during industrialization is of red brick. Characteristic for Aarhus is the use of yellow bricks in central neighborhoods and buildings such as the Central Station and the area around it including Park Allé, as well as Aarhus University. Reinforced concrete was used for the first time when the Five Sisters were erected in the late 1920s but it didn't become a widespread building material until the 1940s. In the mid 20th century more exotic materials gradually became popular and affordable such as the porphyry used in National Bank Branch in Aarhus from 1926, the Nexø sandstone in St. Mark's Church from 1935 and the marble used for cladding of Aarhus City Hall from 1941.

Tumulus structure at Borum

Archaeological finds indicate that the area around Aarhus may have been inhabited as far back as 100.000 BCE. Stone tools dated to 240.000 BCE have been found in Sønderjylland to the south indicating that the neanderthals at least strafed the Danish area. More recent artifacts dated to around 100.000 BCE have been found in Himmerland to the north and Lillebælt to the south-east.[8] However, the Weichselian glaciation made it impossible to inhabit most of Denmark between 70.000 BCE and 13.000 BCE as glaciers covered most of peninsular Denmark, including the east coast. Humans returned as the glaciers retreated and evidence points to a hunter gatherer culture until around 4.000 BCE when peoples from the south immigrated north and gradually introduced agriculture. The new agrarian lifestyle meant more permanent settlements and a population boom, starting the Neolithic period.[9][10]

The area around Aarhus contains many structures from this period, primarily burial sites in the form of tumuli which was a common practice up to the Viking Age. Some 965 round barrows, 24 long barrows and 68 dolmens are registered by the Danish Heritage Agency spread out across Aarhus Municipality.[11] In the early Neolithic the tumuli were simple; a small stone chamber with a single stone for a roof and then covered in earth. Later versions featured larger chambers, passage graves, which could be re-used multiple times. Weathering and ploughing have over time worn down many of the structures but they were officially protected by law in 1937 and remain an omnipresent part of the surrounding landscape.[12][13]

Stave church reconstruction at Moesgård Museum

The early Viking Age settlement was founded on the northern shore of a fjord at the outlet of the Aarhus River. The settlement consisted of pit houses as well as some wooden buildings such as longhouses.[14] Most buildings were about 5 meters by 10 meters and likely had fenced areas for animal husbandry or small-scale farming. Most buildings were built around a wooden frame filled out wattle and daub style and then plastered in mud for protection. Floors were commonly made of wooden planks although some also had simple stamped dirt floors. Straw and reed was the usual material for roofing but turf was also used as well as wood chips in some exclusive buildings. No extant structures remain from this period but there is archaeological evidence both in and around Aarhus.[15] The initial settlement was laid out in elongated fashion along the fjord from Immervad in the west, which functioned as a ford, to the coast in the east where the city bent northwards along the coast towards Riis Skov. North and west of the settlement by the fjord and coast lay a pagan burial site where Bispetorv is today. The fjord further to the west in Viby was the primary harbor where ships were stored in safety from seaborne attacks in close proximity to the king's estate.[16][17]

In the early 900s Gorm the Old fortified the town with earthen ramparts and a moat, likely in response to the loss of Hedeby and Danevirke. The moat surrounded an area around present day Store Torv and Aarhus Cathedral marked by the streets Graven (Lit. Moat) to the north, Volden (Lit. Rampart) to the west, the fjord to the south and the coast to the east. During the rule of Harald Bluetooth in the 900s the first wooden church was built to the west of the fortified town and in 1070 it was replaced by the travertine St. Nicholas Church.[18] In the late 1000s St. Oluf's Church had been built to the north of the city walls and neighborhoods had grown up around the two churches while the pagan burial site within the walls had been converted to a Christian cemetery with a wooden chapel.[19]

Aarhus Cathedral in Brick Gothic style

Romanesque architecture in Aarhus is mainly demonstrated by ecclesiastical buildings. The Church of Our Lady and Aarhus Cathedral (St. Clemens Cathedral) were built in the late 11th to 12th centuries in Romanesque style. The original cathedral had a deep choir with apse flanked by three chapels on each side. The chapels are still visible, showing the Romanesque pedestals, wall columns and rounded arches. The apse wall prominently display a Romanesque gravestone, most of the portals contain reliefs and the northern tympanum has a typical medieval motif. The Church of Our Lady occupies the site of the former late-11th century travertine St. Nicholas Church and its Romanesque crypt has been uncovered from under the choir. Aarhus also contains a number of village churches from the Early Middle Ages such as Brabrand, Egå, Hasle, Skejby, Tilst, Vejlby and Viby Church. The typical Romanesque village church consisted of a large church choir attached to a smaller nave.[20][21]

Most of the Romanesque churches in Aarhus were later altered in the late Middle Ages in Gothic style. St. Clemens cathedral was modified in the mid-1400s in a hall church style; the choir and western section was rebuilt and made taller and a large tower, flanked by two chapels, was constructed at the western entrance. Rib vaults were added in the nave and choir and in the windows the Romanesque rounded arches were replaced with Gothic pointed arches. The steeple roof was also made octagonal which is a common feature in many Danish Gothic buildings. The many smaller Romanesque village churches were also changed and most had a tower and porch added along with Gothic style elements such as the crow-stepped gables on the steeples of Skejby, Vejlby and Egå Churches.[22]

Juul's House is a well-preserved renaissance house

In the years 1550–1650, or the Renaissance, Aarhus didn't expand much and space was plentiful so the tendency was to expand outwards rather than up resulting in a comparably flat skyline. Timber framing was the most common construction method for its cheapness and very few brick buildings were built until the 1800s. Aarhus was defined by its Market town stage and many expansive, multi-winged merchants houses were built at the ends of the main thoroughfares. In the 1500s merchants built around the ford at Immervad and the eastern section of Vestergade and in the early 1600s a new wave was built in the outer districts, at the ends of Vestergade, Studsgade and Mejlgade, the main access points to the old market squares Store Torv and Vesterbro Torv. The merchant houses were the largest and most significant buildings, home to the wealthiest citizens and many early workshops and small-scale industry. The best preserved example may be Juul's House from 1629 but Rosensgade 38 from 1600 is also symptomatic. Characteristic for these buildings is 2-4 wings surrounding a central court yard, 1-2 stories tal, often with stables, storage and workshops.[23]

There are relatively few brick buildings from before 1720 left but Vestergade, Mejlgade, Studsgade, Klostergade, Skolegade, Mindegade and Graven contain the most examples. The timber-framed Vestergade 1 from 1540 and Mejlgade 25 from 1585 may be the oldest extant houses in the city. Characteristic for Vestergade 1 is the jettied upper floor which was common in the early half.timbered buildings. The Renaissance House from 1593 and the Mayor's House from 1597, both moved to the Old Town Museum, were two of the largest merchant estates in the city for centuries and both feature the typical jettied upper floor. Århus Mølle from 1700 is another building typical for the period.[23]

Møllestien's 1700s housing

In the Danish provincial cities there are few major Baroque or Rococo works and in a Danish context Aarhus remained a mid-sized town up to the late 18th century and few large structures were built. Baroque and Rococo are mostly expressed in decorative details or interior design. Moesgård Manor was built in its present form in 1776-78 and appears mostly Neoclassical in style but it also has some Baroque features which show the transitional period during which it was built. Rococo in Denmark lasted for a relatively short period between 1740 and the 1770s and is mainly expressed in details such as doors, windows and interior design. Badstuegade 1 is a former warehouse but is the clearest example of Rococo in the exterior of a building in Aarhus.[24][25]

The "white building" for Cathedral School from 1763 was initially built in a Classical style with Baroque style elements although it has since been substantially altered. The merchant class remained wealthy through the 18th century and this was reflected in their houses. Vestergade 58 from 1700 is a timber-framed four-winged merchant's house with a large interior courtyard typical for the period. On the other end of the social scale the most common form of living was lejeboder (Lit. Rental booths), very small houses. The only preserved example is Ridderstræde 4 but the small street Møllestien is a reasonable approximation of the types and sizes of houses the lower classes lived in at the time.[24][25]

Vilhelmsborg Manor house

Construction with brick did not become widespread until the late 1700s which coincided with a period of classicist expression lasting from the late 18th to the mid 19th century. Typical for many classicist designs was the 3-parted facade; in larger structures the middle section was often formed with pilasters and triangular gables while smaller dwellings usually settled for minor decoration and ornamentation. The former widow's seat Trods Katholm is originally from 1606 but has since been extensively altered. Today it has a typical classical appearance with an accentuated, gabled middle section and a strong overall symmetry. The 3-winged building on Klostergade 56 has a classicist building from 1812 facing the street while the older buildings behind it are older timber-framed structures with Baroque features, an overall typical layout of many older houses in Aarhus. The rector building of Aarhus Cathedral School, Mejlgade 7, Badstuegade 1A and Mejlgade 45 are additional representative examples of classicist architecture in Aarhus.[26][27]

In many buildings the classical expression was mixed with other styles. Meulengracht's House from 1816 on Lille Torv, Herskind's House from 1850 and Hans Broge's House from 1850 all feature a mix of classical architecture and Empire Style. Raae's House from 1798 may have been the earliest brick house in the city and has both Baroque and classical features. The late classical period produced the main building of Vilhelmsborg which is itself classical but is a part of a larger complex of farm buildings in Gothic revival, the first of that style in Aarhus. Skolegade 34 is unique for its time, formed as a wedge between Skolegade and Åboulevarden, with a clean classical expression.[26]

The Mejlborg building in Rosenborg-style

From the 1850s to the 1950s revivalist architecture became popular in Aarhus with some local quirks. Motifs from the Middle Ages and renaissance were used liberally and brick facades left bare where plaster had previously been common. The German architect Gustav Ludolf Martens can be said to have introduced Gothic revival architecture, if not to Denmark, then at least to Aarhus. Martens designed Willemoe's House in 1858 which became the first building to be built following the new ideals and may also be the best example of Gothic revival in Aarhus. Many more structures were built in Gothic Revival; the most prominent examples may be Jydske Asyl from 1850 but Studestalden from 1865, Mejlen from 1883, Samsøgades School from 1914 and the farm buildings of Vilhelmsborg manor are also significant works.

Italian renaissance architecture is demonstrated in several prominent structures around Store Torv; the Business- and Agricultural Bank of Jutland from 1900 and Domkirkepladsen 1 from 1926, which also includes some elements of English Baroque. The stately Rømerhus on St. Clemens Bridge also draws inspiration from the Italian Renaissance and was renovated and returned to its original expression in the 2010s. Between 1860 and 1900 the Rosenborg-style became popular in Denmark as a variant of Renaissance Revival that imitates Dutch renaissance architecture. The Old City Hall is built in Rosenborg style and in Mejlborg it is combined with Gothic revival. Other historicist buildings are Vester Alle 15, the Ceres Brewery buildings, Paradisgade 5-7 and Kannikegade 10.[28]

The interest in revivalism also included ecclesiastical buildings and beginning in the 1870s a number of churches in Romanesque Revival were built including Åby Church from 1872, Holme Church from 1882, St. Paul's Church from 1887, St. Nicholas' Church from 1893, St. John's Church from 1905 and Aarhus Methodist Church from 1912. Lyseng Church was originally a Romanesque Revival chapel from 1913 which was converted to a church in 2010 with a new modernist building attached in front. Gothic Revival in churches is most prominently represented by the Catholic Church of Our Lady which was built in 1880 by designs of a German architect who had worked on the newly completed Cologne Cathedral. Frederik's Church from 1944 and Åbyhøj Church from 1945 both combine Romanesque revival with Gothic revival.[28]

The Custom House is in typical National Romantic style

In the late 1800s to the 1910s a period of nationalism and interest in Nordic symbols resulted in the Art Nouveau variant National romanticism which is well represented in Aarhus. It is characterized by the use of domestic materials such as brick, limestone and granite and detailed exteriors. Aarhus Custom House from 1898, the former State Library from 1902 and Aarhus Theatre from 1900 stand as the centerpieces of National Romantic architecture in Aarhus. The Marselisborg Palace from 1902 is also a prominent example of the National Romantic style although the overall layout of the facade bears some resemblance to classicism. Both the custom house and Marselisborg Palace draw inspiration from the towers depicted in the Coat of arms of Aarhus.[29][30]

Another prominent example is the stately Wormhus from 1884, the first block-style structure in the city, constructed as an angled building by St. Clemens Bridge. The Aarhus Fire Station from 1904 merges national romanticism with Renaissance Revival while the Ole Rømer Observatory from 1911 by Anton Rosen incorporates the Arts and Crafts movement. Many public institutions were built at time such as Aarhus Municipal Hospital of which the first building is in typical national romantic style, although later additions has turned the overall hospital complex into a distinct Functionalist expression. Many public elementary schools were also built at the time and Elise Schmidt's School, N.J. Fjordsgade School, Finsensgade School, Læssøesgades School and Paradisgade School all incorporate the national romantic style to some degree. Perhaps the best example of national romantic school architecture is the "red building" of Cathedral School, designed by Hack Kampmann. The Norwegian House constructed for the National Exhibition of 1909 may also be described as National Romantic although it was constructed as a demonstration project. Other examples are Sankt Lucas Kirkeplads 6–8, H. Pontoppidans Gade 18, Gerlachsgade 14 and Villa Kampen, originally Hack Kampmann's home.[30]

Park Allé and the area around it is in Neoclassical style

National romanticism was followed by a period of Neoclassicism as a reaction against the decorative and ornamental styles that preceded it. A new breed of young architects got involved in socio-political issues and sought to design neighborhoods, blocks, buildings and institutions in cheap but appealing ways. The style was characterized by clarity, logic and artistic cohesion with the works of the architect Christian Frederik Hansen as the model. Neoclassicism is well represented in Aarhus with the city center around the railway station having been built at this time along with a number of institutional buildings. Banegårdspladsen and the area around it including the Central Station are built in Neoclassical style as five-story yellow brick block buildings. The neighborhood Frederiksbjerg, planned and designed by Hack Kampmann and Einar Ambt in 1898, was erected quickly as large, continuous blocks in the spirit of Neoclassicism.[31]

The most important individual works are Skansepalæet from 1908 by Hjalmar Kjær and the Spanien Public Baths from 1933 by Frederik Draiby. Varna Palæet in the Marselisborg Forests, built in 1908 by the architect Eggert Achen for the Danish National Exhibition of 1909, was initially lambasted as an architectural fusion of a Chinese pagoda and a Danish warehouse but has since become landmark in its own right. Other important works are Steen Billes Torv 12 from 1910 by Axel Høeg-Hansen and Christian Frühstück Nielsen, Kunsthal Aarhus from 1917 by Axel Høeg-Hansen and St. Mark's Church from 1935 by Thomas Havning. Aarhus Female Seminary from 1910 in Trøjborg is a rare example of a trend inspired by French palace-architecture with plastered, richly ornamented and clearly divided facades. Industrial works include the Five Sisters by Hjalmar Kjær, Stykgodspakhuset and the former administrative center for the Port of Aarhus on Slipvej 4.[31]

The University is one of the best examples of Danish Functionalism

The Stockholm Exhibition in 1930 had a large impact on architectural expression in Denmark, the ideals of historicism was largely abandoned in favor of Functionalist architecture. The use of decoration and ornamentation was diminished in favor of materials and functionality. There was a desire for a modern lifestyle expressed through form, function and technique. New concepts such as mass production was for the first time thought into new projects. Aarhus contains a number of important functionalist works.[32]

The Aarhus University buildings from 1933 by C. F. Møller, Kay Fisker and Povl Stegmann is listed and a part of the Danish Culture Canon. The university buildings are laid out freely across an undulating landscape, constructed of light-yellow bricks. Aarhus City Hall from 1941 by Arne Jacobsen and Erik Møller is also listed and stands as the probably most recognizable landmark of the city; clad in blue-green marble with a very characteristic 60 m tall clock tower. Klintegaarden from 1938 by Hans Ove Christensen, also listed, may be the finest example of residential functionalist architecture in the city. It is a monumental apartment complex constructed of concrete elements, designed around a philosophy of communal and shared facilities. Strandparken from 1935 by Alfred Mogensen is another residential apartment complex and one of the first examples of free standing apartment blocks laid out in a park-like landscape which became a popular design in the years after. The former main library in red brick in Mølleparken, the Grey Building from 1957 by C.F. Møller at Aarhus Cathedral School, the tribunes for the Jutland Racecourse, Møllevang School and Skovvang School are other examples of functionalist architecture in Aarhus.[32] Århus Statsgymnasium school from 1953 by Johan Richter featuring large ceramic artworks by native artist Asger Jorn, signals the emergence of modernism and the buildings have been listed since 2003.

Isbjerget in the Docklands

From the 1960s to the 2010s many different architects and architectural firms have made their imprint on the city and created works of varying architectural styles. Højen 13 from 1958, is a listed villa created by the architect Knud Friis as his personal home and is one of the first examples of brutalist architecture in the city. Knud Friis' company Friis & Moltke later continued the style in and around Aarhus as exemplified by the Hotel Marselis from 1967 and Scanticon from 1969 with their raw exposed concrete structures. The late 1960s to early 1970s also produced modernist icons like the dormitories of Børglum Hall (1967) by Harald Salling-Mortensen and Skjoldhøjkollegiet (1973) also by Knud Friis and others. The Børglum Hall in yellow brick, draws inspiration from the Finnish architect and artist Alvar Aalto. The individual dormitory buildings are formed as petals on a stalk around a central community space and it remains a unique structure in the city. The 1970s and early 1980s, was a period of stagnation and major works from this period is limited. The Concert Hall from 1982 by Kjær & Richter had a unique expression for the time. It appears as a transparent glass box placed in front of a rigidly designed park, referencing the neighboring former military barracks Vester Allé Barracks. The conference center Scandinavian Center in postmodern style from 1995 by Friis & Moltke is one of the relatively few large structures produced in the Danish provincial cities in the 1990s and was at the time a monumental building.

In the 2000s, the city grew rapidly and many large structures has been built. The 63 metre tall Prismet from 2001 by Friis & Moltke was the first building resembling modern glass-clad skyscrapers and the first building in 60 years to supersede the city hall in height. The later Aarhus City Tower from 2014, designed by Architema Architects, at 94 metres, was the first building in seven centuries to approach the height of the cathedral and is now visible across most of the city's skyline. In line with contemporary practises, the building incorporates features such as solar panel facades and a number of energy efficiency devices (central heating, LED lighting, proper insulation, etc.). The monumental ARoS Aarhus Art Museum from 2004 by Schmidt Hammer Lassen topped with a roof sculpture Rainbow Panorama by Ólafur Elíasson has become a feature of the Aarhus skyline. Development of the Docklands in the 2010s has produced a number of notable buildings such as the irregular Isbjerget (Iceberg) from 2013, the star-shaped Navitas from 2015 and the heptagonal neofuturistic Dokk1 cultural center from 2016.