Copenhagen Børsen, four centuries in flames

The images sent by William Mulvihill Architecture Photograph to METALOCUS tragically show how the raging fire destroyed the Copenhagen Stock Exchange just when a complete building rehabilitation process was being carried out. This situation recalls the tragedy of the fire that happened in 2019, a similar problem with the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, whose work is scheduled to conclude at the end of this year.

The fire occurred during rehabilitation works on the copper roof of the main building, but the cause of the fire is unknown. Approximately half of the building was destroyed in the afternoon. The fire also affected the scaffolding around Børsen which made it difficult for the firefighters present to reach the flames, while the copper covering retained heat.

As occurred with the tragic fire in the French city, the scaffolding played a fundamental role, making it difficult for firefighters to access the fire. The fall of the 56-meter spire is not only the tragic reflection of the loss of a building; It is the loss of a piece of Danish history.


Boersen Fire April 16th 2024. Photograph by William Mulvihill Architecture Photography.

Citizens, architects and historians alike lament the destruction of its emblematic Renaissance façade and the centuries of stories it housed within its walls. As the flames die down and the smoke clears, the city promises to rebuild, not just the structure, but the spirit of resilience and history that the Exchange embodies.

This tragic event serves as a reminder of how little we learn from similar recent tragedies when it comes to intervening in heritage and being aware of the fragility of our architectural treasures as well as the importance of preserving our cultural heritage for future generations.


Boersen Fire April 16th 2024. Photograph by William Mulvihill Architecture Photography.


Boersen Fire April 16th 2024. Photograph by William Mulvihill Architecture Photography.

Børsen (Danish for "the Stock Exchange"), also known as Børsbygningen ("the Stock Exchange Building"), was a 17th-century stock exchange in the centre of Copenhagen. The historic building is located next to Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament, on the island of Slotsholmen. A site on the northern side of the embankment connecting Copenhagen to the new market town of Christianshavn was planned on reclaimed land off the coast of Amager.

Built under the reign of Christian IV, between 1619-1625 and completed in 1640, to strengthen Copenhagen's commercial role as a centre of commerce for northern Europe, the building is considered a leading example of the Dutch Renaissance style in Denmark.

Børsen was especially known for its unique spire, installed in 1625, shaped like the tails of four intertwined dragons and reaching a height of 56 m. The dragons that formed the spire, designed by Christian IV's fireworks master, were supposed to protect the building from enemies and fire. The building contained 40 business offices on the ground floor and a large hall on the upper floor. The building was used as a market in the late 1620s.


2016, Børsen Copenhagen Denmark.

2012, Børsen Copenhagen Denmark.


2007, Børsen Copenhagen Denmark.

In the middle of the 19th century, 1855 it was restored for the first time. In 1918, unemployed anarchists attacked Børsen, an attack that went down in Danish history books as stormen på Børsen (Storm on the Stock Exchange). The building housed the Danish Stock Exchange until 1974, and as of 2018, the building was used as the headquarters of the Danish Chamber of Commerce (Dansk Erhverv).