Copenhagen Opera House

Copenhagen Opera House

Typically called Operaen in Danish, the Copenhagen Opera House is among the world's most contemporary opera houses, and is Denmark's national opera house. Remarkably positioned in the core of Copenhagen on Holmen Island, the opera house sits opposite the castle of Amalienborg on the harbor's shores.

The realization of this extraordinary landmark commenced in the year 2000, with A.P Møller and Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation's decision to give an opera house to the people of Denmark. After enlisting the expertise of a famous architect, Henning Larsen, the project was instantaneously put to a start. Following four years and the incurrence of two and a half billion Danish Crowns, the Copenhagen Opera House on the 1st of October, was officially given to the citizens of Denmark. As of January 1st of 2005, this noteworthy structure is managed by The Royal Danish Theatre.

The Copenhagen Opera House is one of the world's excellently-equipped opera houses, faceting a main stage, and five added stages directly linked, where huge setups can easily be moved in and out. The impressive building alone totals more than forty-one-thousand square meters, consisting of fourteen storeys, five of which lies underground, one-thousand rooms including a number of rehearsal rooms and huge orchestral practice room, and a main theater seating that accommodates one-thousand-five hundred people. A stretch of three long balconies can be admired by those seating on the floor, as well as enjoy an exceptional sound quality.

The opera house also features a small stage intended for experimental theater or supposed "block box" theater named Takkelloftet. This name was taken from a structure found on the opera's south, Takkelloftet, built around 1767 to 1772 used for stocking up ropes for the navy. Therefore, the Copenhagen Opera House preserves its connection with its place's marine history.

Different from Copenhagen's old opera, this opera house permits the artists to take an elevator if they're coming from a dressing room going to the stage, as the steadfastness is very superior. Sadly, more time is needed to get to the stage so it makes it impracticable to go back to dressing rooms for quick changes of outfit. Nevertheless, scene technicians constructed provisional dressing rooms close to the main stage allowing quick outfit change or makeup.

Bearing in mind all of the outstanding features of the Copenhagen Opera House, it naturally and definitely counts as one of the most modern and respected opera houses in the world, which in its own special way has reached the same appreciation as that of The Sydney Opera House.