Aarhus City Hall

Only after public pressure did Aarhus City Hall get its tower and become clad in marble. Today, it stands as a masterpiece of early functionalism in Denmark.

When Arne Jacobsen and Erik Møller won the competition for Aarhus City Hall in 1937, their project consisted of three staggered building blocks but no city hall tower. However, public protests were so intense that the architects felt compelled to add a 60-meter-high tower. Notably, it was a functionalist tower surrounded by a skeleton structure and without the traditional spire. Additionally, public pressure resulted in the buildings’ facades being clad in marble instead of plaster.

Besides the tower, the city hall comprises three buildings of varying height, depth, and length. Both the main building with the city hall and the tall administration wing has offices on either side of an area with skylights. Moreover, both buildings receive light from gable windows. The third building, which houses the service office, stands out slightly with its vaulted roof and exposed concrete structure.

All interior furnishings and furniture were designed by the world-renowned furniture architect Hans J. Wegner in collaboration with the architects.

The location of the city hall on the site is also well thought out. The complex divides the site into a city hall square in front of the main building and a city hall park – a former cemetery with a preserved linden avenue – at the back. All in all, Aarhus City Hall stands as a masterpiece of early functionalism in Denmark.