Jorcks Passage

The covered section of the passageway

Jorcks Passage is a passageway and associated building in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It connects the pedestrian street Strøget to Skindergade at the end of Fiolstræde.

History

The roof-top structure
KTAS' telephone exchange which opened in the building in 1896

Jorcks Passage takes its name after the developer and sugar goods manufacturer Reinholdt W. Jorck. In 1880, Jorck purchased a property on the other side of Strøget (47 Vimmelskaftet) which was rented out to the newly founded telephone company KTAS. Jorck built the Jorcks Passage complex when the company ran out of space at their old building. He commissioned Vilhelm Dahlerup to design the building which was constructed between 1893 and 1895. KTAS opened their first telephone exchange in the premises in 1896. Literally thousands of telephone wires extended from a structure on the roof to customers in the vicinity. KTAS left the building in 1910 when they inaugurated their new Telephone Building (Danish: Telefonhuset) in Nørregade.[1]

Danish Radio Foundation (later Danmarks Radio ) broadcast their first radio programmes from the building on 24 September 1924 under the name Københavns Radio (English: Copenhagen Radio).

Architecture

The building viewed from Strøget
Portrait of Reinholdt W. Jorck

The Historicist building is four storeys high and consists of 11 bays on Skindergade and 12 bays on Vimmelskaftet. It surrounds a narrow rectangular courtyard space which is open at ground level in both ends and lined by retail space along the sides. The passageway is flanked by two rows of columns topped by small statues of toddlers and the floor is paved with mosaics. A bust of Reinholdt W. Jorck is placed in a niche.

Today

The owner Jorcks Ejendomsselskab is based in the building. Tenants include the communications agency Geelmuyden Kiese (Np. 1A).

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Skindergade 31-35/Vimmelskaftet 42-44" (in Danish). AOK. Retrieved 2013-04-17.
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Coordinates: 55°40′44″N 12°34′27″E / 55.6789°N 12.5741°E / 55.6789; 12.5741

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