After several years of extensive dialogue and adjustments, Nordisk Film Cinemas is now ready to submit its final proposal for the future Palads cinema. The new proposal, which includes a reduction in height, retains at least 90% of the original façade, significantly reduces the planned basement and includes a hotel instead of office space, is the culmination of a four-year process. The project is now awaiting political consideration.
When a majority of Copenhagen City Council approved the preliminary report for a new local plan for Palads in April 2024, it did so with a number of conditions. Among other things, the height of the building had to be reduced further, an assessment of the project's impact on groundwater had to be carried out, and a preliminary CO₂ account had to be prepared. At the same time, architectural adjustments were required, including that the upper part of the building had to be set back in relation to the colourful façade.
Since then, Nordisk Film Cinemas has adjusted the project following ongoing and close dialogue with the Technical and Environmental Administration of the City of Copenhagen. This has resulted in an updated proposal, which will now be considered by Copenhagen politicians.
"Our wish is that there will continue to be a popular and modern Palads cinema in the heart of Copenhagen. We are now presenting a revised project, in which we have gone to great lengths to accommodate the wishes of politicians. We are very happy and proud of the project we are now presenting and look forward to it receiving final political approval," says Asger Flygare Bech-Thomsen, CEO of Nordisk Film Cinemas.
New proposal: Lower, more preservation and reduced basement
Work on renovating Palads has been ongoing for a number of years. After some criticism in 2022, Nordisk Film Cinemas dropped a project designed by the architectural firm BIG. Instead, they opened up for broad public involvement, which led to three new proposals prepared by the architectural firm Cobe. These sketches have subsequently been the focus of dialogue with politicians, the municipality and the public.
After a discussion of the initial report in the Technical and Environmental Committee in the summer of 2023, Nordisk Film Cinemas continued to work on the ‘Classic Palads’ sketch, which was one of the three proposals. However, the possibilities for preserving parts of the original building and building height, among other things, had to be looked into.
Since then, the height has been adjusted several times. First, it was lowered from 40 to 36 metres, with an entire floor being removed from the project. The final version further reduces the height to 30 metres to the stern edge. In addition, it ensures that at least 90% of the original façade of the Palace will be preserved, while the vast majority of the originally planned basement facilities have been dropped. This means that the total capacity of the auditoriums has been reduced compared to what was originally desired, so that there are now four cinema auditoriums in the basement and four above ground. Overall, this means that the new project has been reduced by approximately 11,100 m2, corresponding to 43 per cent compared to the initial proposal.
“We are reducing the height of the building, significantly reducing the size of the basement and preserving the distinctive façade of the Palads, just as the upper part of the building is being set back. We have sought a compromise and are presenting a project that we are very happy with and that meets guests’ expectations for a modern cinema,” says Asger Flygare Bech-Thomsen.
Hotel instead of offices
Another key feature of the updated project is the replacement of the planned office space with a hotel with a panoramic bar on the top floor. The hotel is intended as an extension of the atmospheric and exciting city life that characterises the neighbourhood around the cinema, Tivoli Gardens and the Circus Building, which is also close to public transport.
“We have listened to the scepticism surrounding more office space in the city centre and instead worked on the idea of a hotel at the top of the building. This makes a lot of sense for several reasons: Palads is located in the middle of the entertainment district, and a hotel here will be attractive to both Danish and international guests. It can help make Palads an even stronger gathering point in a neighbourhood where culture, entertainment and city life already come together,” says Asger Flygare Bech-Thomsen.
Next step: local plan and political approval
With the latest adjustments, the stage is now set for the conclusion of a political process that has been ongoing for several years. The project has been adjusted to meet technical requirements, political wishes and cinema-goers’ expectations – without compromising the ambition to ensure a popular and modern cinema in the heart of the city.
“Our goal has always been to ensure that Palads continues to be a place where cinema-goers can come together to enjoy great film experiences. With this project, we are breathing new life into Palads – with respect for its history and with an eye to the audiences of the future. We have had an ongoing dialogue with the administration and Copenhagen’s politicians. We look forward to the upcoming political debate so that we can continue to deliver great cinema experiences at Palads,” says Asger Flygare Bech-Thomsen.
Facts: Changes since the initial report
Building height: As part of the municipality's recommendations, the building height has been reduced from 36 metres to 30 metres to the stern edge, with a recessed roof structure with integrated technology of up to 34 metres.
Preservation: The revised project will ensure the preservation of the original Palace façade. The new proposal goes from 14% preservation of the façade (front section) to a minimum of 90% preservation of the façade – and only opens up a limited part of the building to allow access to and from the construction site. This will be restored afterwards. In addition, the existing Palace is full of special details and valuable materials – including granite and marble – which have great potential for reuse in the new construction.
Façade: Compared to before, the façade of the new building will be withdrawn further from the existing Palace building, and the characteristic tower will be left untouched.
Basement: In the initial report, the depth was approximately 24 metres. During the local planning process, the basement has been significantly reduced in order to minimise CO₂ emissions. In the current proposal, the existing basement, with a depth of up to five metres, has been expanded locally to nine metres. Eight new cinema auditoriums – four located in the basement and four on the first floor – are integrated into an independent construction system within the footprint of the existing façade. In contrast to the previous layout, the ground floor is kept free of cinema auditoriums, creating an open and inviting appearance towards the surrounding urban space.
Hotel above Palads: A hotel will be established above Palads with its main entrance at the southern end of the ground floor, facing Vesterport. The top floor of the extension will also feature a panoramic bar for hotel guests, offering views over the city’s rooftops. In addition, the new building will open up to Axeltorv, which will become a more vibrant and cohesive meeting place. Nordisk Film Cinemas proposes to recreate Axeltorv with new paving, small groups of trees and benches for people to sit on.