How Do You Rebuild a 400-Year-Old Icon?

Most Danes remember where they were on April 16, 2024, when Børsen went up in flames. The fire consumed large parts of the historic building, leaving one of Copenhagen’s most iconic landmarks severely damaged. But how do you rebuild a building with 400 years of history? And perhaps more importantly: Which version of Børsen should rise from the ashes? 

This question is at the heart of a new episode of the Danish Architecture Center’s English-language podcast, Let’s Talk Architecture, to be released on August 27. Host and journalist Michael Booth visits Børsen in the midst of the reconstruction and meets Mette Tony, co-founder of Praksis Architects, the firm responsible for restoring the building’s interior. 

Over the course of its 400-year history, Børsen has undergone several renovations and transformations. Rebuilding it is therefore not simply a matter of returning the building to one specific moment in history. It also involves deciding which version of Børsen should rise from the ashes. 

The episode offers an exclusive look inside Børsen and explores the considerations, challenges, and decisions behind the reconstruction. 

From Børsen to Architecture’s Other Biggest Questions 

The Børsen episode is part of Let’s Talk Architecture, a podcast series produced by the Danish Architecture Center since 2019. The English-language podcast releases a new episode on the last Thursday of every month, bringing listeners closer to architects, designers, urban planners, and other professionals working with some of the major questions shaping our buildings and cities. 

The podcast now features more than 60 episodes covering a wide range of topics. Previous episodes include: 

• Can Architecture Heal Us?, featuring Dorte Mandrup in a conversation about architecture, health, and well-being. 
• BIG HQ: When Architects Design for Themselves, in which Bjarke Ingels discusses BIG’s own headquarters. 
• How to Build a Mega-Museum: A conversation with Claus Pryds about the nearly 20-year process of creating the new Natural History Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen 
• Reframing the Periphery: A conversation with Reiulf Ramstad about SMK Thy and the intersection of art, architecture, nature, and the local community 
• Bioregional Architecture – Building with the Materials Around Us: A conversation with Justine Bell about Hedeskov Living Lab 

Through Let’s Talk Architecture, the Danish Architecture Center brings Danish and international stories about architecture to a global audience.