Copenhagen Court House is a historic building located on Nytorv in Copenhagen, Denmark . Originally built as a combined town hall and court building, it now serves as the residence of the District Court of Copenhagen. Opened in 1815, it was designed by Christian Frederick Hansen in neoclassical style.
The court in modern style, Hof- og Stadsretten, was introduced in Denmark, especially for Copenhagen, Johann Friedrich Struensee in 1771. Two High Courts, located in Vyborg and Copenhagen, were opened as courts of appeal in 1805.
In the Great Fire of 1795, the Copenhagen City Hall, located between Nytorv and Gammeltorv, was one of many buildings lost in the fire. It was the second mayor's office in a row to meet this fate; the first building, built in 1679 in the same place, burned down in a fire in 1728.
After the fire it was decided to build a joint town hall and court building in Nyutorva, on the site previously occupied by the Royal Shelter, built in 1728. The project also included a prison. Christian Frederick Hansen, the leading Danish architect of the time, was indicted by the commission. Construction began in 1803 and was completed in 1816. Implementation of the project was delayed due to lack of construction materials, as well as because of the British bombing of the city in 1807 at the Battle of Copenhagen . For the construction were used materials demolition of the palace Hirschholm .
The building served its dual purpose for almost 100 years, until in 1905 the current Copenhagen City Hall was opened. After that, it was used exclusively for the District Court of Copenhagen.
The facade is dominated by six large Ionic columns framed by masonry with a minimum of windows. Behind the columns, a staircase leads to the entrance hall with four more Ionic columns. From here, a complex network of corridors and stairs connects to the rest of the building. Although the court building has been renovated several times, the overall layout of the halls with columns, reliefs and stucco work has been preserved.
On each side of the building, it is framed by a large arch. On the left, the arch is a passage above the street that connects the court building with the prison on the other side. The prison building has a strict view with small windows.