The Christiania Opera House

As most Danes know, and probably quite a few non-Danes, the opera house in Copenhagen was commissioned by A P Møller, head of Denmark's largest company, Moller-Maersk, which is (or should be) familiar to anyone who lives even vaguely close to a port.

What I recently found out, was that the metal bars which stretch across the fantastic facade of the building were not part of the original design, by Henning Larsen. Instead, they were insisted on by Mr Møller himself. I think it's a shame. It would have been fantastic to see the entirity of the opera house from the outside, but instead it gives us mere public, just a glimpse of what exclusivity is hidden behind those bars. Perhaps this is what he intended. If so, it works, but it also mars the building for me, and doesn't quite seem to fit in with what, for me, Denmark is partly about - openness.

Anyhow. The point is; imagine the bars of the opera house weren't there, and just see the similarity between what you see, and Christiania's (the hippy freetown in Copenhagen) flag.





Coincidence, perhaps, but there is a part of me that likes to think that some where, Mr Larsen is having a right laugh.