On the iconic corner plot where City Hall Square meets Vesterbrogade, once stood Centralhotellet, a magnificent four-story building designed by the visionary architect Vilhelm Klein. On the ground floor of the hotel flourished the famous Café Paraplyen, named after the grand parasol that majestically spread over the corner’s outdoor seating. This building and its atmospheric café eventually became part of the city’s memory as they were replaced by a new, timeless structure. Erected between 1934 and 1936 and designed by the modern master Alf Cock-Clausen, this building stands as one of Copenhagen’s rare Art Deco gems. Its ornamentation, created by the talented Einar Utzon-Franck in 1936, has transformed Richshuset into something truly unique and almost magical.
Atop the corner tower, the two gilded weather girls are flanked by a neon-lit thermometer – one of the few remaining neon installations from the 1930s still illuminating Copenhagen’s cityscape. This decoration is not merely aesthetic but also functional; a bygone weather station where the “sunshine girl” with a bicycle and summer dress emerges in fair weather, while the “rainy weather girl” with an umbrella, dog, and raincoat appears when the rain pours.
In 2023 and 2024, the 2nd and 4th floors underwent a comprehensive renovation, where new herringbone floors, elegant kitchens, and modern lighting were integrated with respect for the building’s historic soul. The new lighting, carefully selected from MOOD PRO by Reggiani Illuminazione, was preferred for its aesthetic purity, superior light quality, and absence of glare – a reflection of the building’s own timeless elegance.
We are immensely proud to contribute to the transformation and revitalization of Copenhagen’s historic and iconic buildings, especially when quality is an uncompromising prerequisite.
