View source for Aarhus City Hall

{{Short description|Building in Denmark}}
{{expand Danish|date=June 2023|topic=struct}}
{{Infobox building
| building_name   = Aarhus City Hall
| image           = Århus Rådhus.jpg
| caption         = 
| alternate_name  = 
| location        = [[Aarhus]], Denmark
| coordinates     = {{coord|56.153056|10.203333|region:BE_type:landmark|display=title,inline}}
| completion_date = 1941
| status          = Complete
| building_type   = Administrative
| architectural_style = 
| antenna_spire   = 
| roof            = 
| floor_count     = 
| elevator_count  = 
| architect       = [[Arne Jacobsen]] and [[Erik Møller]]
| references      = 
}}
'''Aarhus City Hall''' ({{langx|da|Aarhus Rådhus}}) is the city hall of [[Aarhus]], Denmark. The decision to build a new city hall was taken during a city hall meeting in 1937. The new building was inaugurated 2 June 1941, designed by architects [[Arne Jacobsen]] and [[Erik Møller]]. On the first proposal, the plans did not include a tower but due to massive public pressure it was later added to the drawings along with the idea to clad the structure in marble. [[Hans Wegner]] was in charge of the furnishing - which is uniquely designed to fit the building -, and parts of the interior design.

== Architecture and design ==
The city hall has a total area of 19,380&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup> including the basement. The tower is 60&nbsp;m tall and the tower clock face has a diameter of 7&nbsp;m. The building is made of concrete plated with 6,000&nbsp;m<sup>2</sup> of grey [[marble]] from [[Porsgrunn]] in [[Norway]]. On the outside, copper is used for many architectural details, signified by the characteristic green [[verdigris]]. The interior is more luscious in its expression with oaken [[parquet floor]]s, ceramic tile floors in various patterns, specially designed wooden furniture,  glass walls, wooden walls and large wall paintings and decorations. Inside, [[brass]] and [[bronze]] is used for metal architectural details.

The price for the building was 9.5 mio. [[Danish Krone|DKK]], including the cost of the land area and inventory which in itself comprised 1.5 mio. DKK. As one of just a few Danish city halls, it was marked for preservation in March 1994 because of its unique architecture and design. In January 2006, the city hall was included in the [[Danish Culture Canon]] under architecture.

The city hall features as the main location of the short film Nada - Act II by Slovenian artist [[Jasmina Cibic]].

<gallery>
File:Arne jacobsen, aarhus town hall 1937-1942 2.jpg|Interior
File:Arne jacobsen, aarhus town hall 1937-1942 (1).jpg|Staircase
File:Arne jacobsen, aarhus town hall 1937-1942.jpg|Staircase
File:Park alle.JPG|By night
</gallery>

==Former city halls==
[[File:Womens museum in Aarhus.jpg|thumb|upright|The old city hall (2nd). The building now houses a museum of women's history.]]
{{See also|Old City Hall (Aarhus)}}

Aarhus has officially had two former city halls. The first was erected in the middle of the 15th century and was situated in front of the tower of the [[Aarhus Cathedral]]. It was demolished in 1859.

The second city hall was erected during 1856 and 1857, immediately northeast of the Cathedral. Officially it was city hall, [[courthouse]] and penitentiary. From 1856 to 1906, the county councils also held their meetings in the building and the Aarhus art museum, that now has evolved to become the [[ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum|ARoS art museum]], started out in the attic in 1859.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aros.dk/besoeg-aros/udstillinger/2009/aarhus-kunstmuseum-anno-1859-150-aars-jubilaeumsudstilling/|title=Aarhus Kunstmuseum - Anno 1859 150 år jubilæum|publisher=ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum|language=da|access-date=17 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190227183753/https://www.aros.dk/besoeg-aros/udstillinger/2009/aarhus-kunstmuseum-anno-1859-150-aars-jubilaeumsudstilling/|archive-date=27 February 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> When the building was not needed as a city hall any longer due to the erection of the present city hall, the building was in use as a police station between 1941 and 1984. Today the building houses [[Kvindemuseet]], a museum for women's culture and history in Denmark.

== Surroundings ==
The Aarhus City Hall is situated in ''[[City Hall Park, Aarhus|Rådhusparken]]'' (The City Hall Park). The park is rather small, but marks the main entrance to the city for travellers arriving at the [[Aarhus Central Station|Central Station]] close by and hosts various events throughout the year. The City Hall Park connects with the park area in front of [[The Concert Hall of Aarhus]] ({{langx|da|Musikhuset}}) and leads to the central square of ''Rådhuspladsen'' (The City Hall Square).

{|align=Left
|-
!style="color: #black; background-color: #f8eaba; font-size: 100%" align="center" colspan="2" |The City Hall Park
|-
|<gallery  perrow=3>
Rådhusparken i Aarhus.JPG|The entrancepath showing the characteristic [[Pavers (flooring)|pavement]] of Aarhus.
Cobbled square.jpg|A [[cobbles|cobbled]] plaza in the park.
Rådhusparken (allé) 02.jpg|The [[tilia|linden]] tree avenue leading to the City Hall Square.
</gallery>
|}
{|align=Right
|-
!style="color: #black; background-color: #f8eaba; font-size: 100%" align="center" colspan="2" |The City Hall Square
|-
|<gallery  perrow=3>
Rådhuspladsen 02.JPG|''Rådhuspladsen'' (The City Hall Square)
Aarhus - panoramio (24).jpg|Pig sculpture and fountain, known as ''Ceres Brønden''
Rådhuspladsen (Aarhus) 2.jpg|The ''[[pølsevogn]]'' at The City Hall Square
</gallery>
|}
{{clear left}}

==Sources==
*''Byens hus'', Erhvervsarkivet 1991 {{ISBN|87-89386-22-1}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons-inline}}
* [http://arslonga.dk/aarhus_photos.htm Photos of the City Hall and the park] arslonga.dk
* [https://aarhus-raadhus.dk/english/ ''A Lovable House'': an architectural documentary about Aarhus City Hall]

{{Aarhus}}
{{Listed buildings in Aarhus Municipality}}
{{Arne Jacobsen}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Government buildings completed in 1941]]
[[Category:Towers completed in 1941]]
[[Category:Arne Jacobsen buildings]]
[[Category:Listed city and town halls in Denmark]]
[[Category:Modernist architecture in Aarhus]]
[[Category:City and town halls in Denmark]]
[[Category:Listed buildings in Aarhus|City Hall]]
[[Category:Danish Culture Canon]]
[[Category:Functionalist architecture in Aarhus]]
[[Category:1941 establishments in Denmark]]
[[Category:1940s architecture in Denmark]]