Nytorv 2 and the Copenhagen Courthouse

A Neoclassical Landmark on a Medieval Square

Nytorv 2 anchors one of Copenhagen’s most atmospheric corners, where the open expanse of Nytorv merges seamlessly with neighbouring Gammeltorv. Here, the Copenhagen Court House rises above the cobbles in strict Neoclassical lines, its broad staircase and tall Ionic columns giving the address an almost theatrical sense of arrival. The building is deliberately monumental, reflecting its historic dual role as both court house and city hall in the 19th century. Step back a little and you see how the façade frames the square: the courthouse occupies almost the entire western side, creating a solid stone backdrop to a public space that has reshaped itself many times over the centuries. Today, it is part of the Strøget pedestrian zone, yet the proportions and silhouettes still hint at Copenhagen’s era of royal city building.

From Butchers’ Market to Public Stage

The story of Nytorv is one of transformation. Laid out in the early 17th century under King Christian IV, the square was created by clearing ground behind the old city hall. It quickly became the city’s meat market, while Gammeltorv next door handled other goods. The area was noisy, practical and anything but grand, with stalls, smells and busy trade taking place from dawn. Nytorv also carried a darker role as a place of public punishment and execution, a stark reminder that civic order and daily commerce were once closely entwined. After a devastating city fire in the 18th century, the old city hall was lost, and the reconstruction that followed opened up the combined space we recognise today, with a new city hall–courthouse complex giving Nytorv 2 its defining presence.

Civic Architecture by Christian Frederik Hansen

The current building at Nytorv 2 was completed in 1815 to the designs of Christian Frederik Hansen, one of Denmark’s most influential architects. His approach was sober, symmetrical and strongly inspired by classical antiquity, expressed here through a long colonnade of Ionic columns, a high triangular pediment and carefully balanced windows. Behind the main façade lies a sequence of courtrooms, corridors and offices, historically linked by elevated passageways to adjoining jail buildings. One of these enclosed bridges, crossing the side street, gained the nickname “Bridge of Sighs” because prisoners once passed through it on their way to trial. Even viewed from the street, these connections tell a story of how justice, administration and urban form were woven together.

Nytorv 2 in the Life of the City Today

Although the address serves a serious purpose, the immediate surroundings feel anything but solemn. The wide stone steps double as informal seating, and the open square in front hosts small stages, festival events and seasonal markets, especially during citywide celebrations and cultural programmes. Musicians, street artists and campaign stalls often use the generous space in front of the courthouse as their backdrop. At ground level, cafés, bakeries and shops around the edge of the square bring a lighter touch, with outdoor tables spilling into the sun when the weather allows. Office workers on lunch break, shoppers cutting across Strøget and curious visitors all share the same cobbles, making Nytorv 2 a point where everyday life rubs shoulders with Denmark’s legal institutions.

Details Worth Noticing as You Linger

Take time to look closely at the stonework of the columns and plinths, where subtle weathering softens the building’s otherwise strict geometry. The rhythm of the colonnade creates deep shadows on bright days and a sheltered edge in wind or rain. In the square itself, lighter paving stones mark traces of earlier buildings, quietly mapping out where the former city hall once stood. Benches and low steps around the square turn this crossroads into a natural pause point. In summer, the air is filled with conversation and the sounds of nearby buskers; in winter, the space can feel crisply exposed, with long views to the facades of Gammeltorv and the narrow streets beyond. At any time of year, standing at Nytorv 2 offers a compact lesson in how Copenhagen has balanced justice, memory and everyday public life in a single urban room.