Opera House

High culture in an ultra-modern setting
Noteworthy for: The Opera House is one of the most expensive such venues ever built, costing in excess of USD 500 million.

Like many vast, bold, and costly projects, Copenhagen's Opera House attracted some controversy when it opened in 2005, not least because of some unseemly squabbles over its design between architect Henning Larken and Maersk McKinny Moller, the billionaire shipping magnet who commissioned the building as a gift to the city.
All that's in the past, and now most consider the venue a great success. Magnificently positioned on the water's edge on Holmen, directly across from Amalienborg Palace, its vast, slender roof canopy is in striking contrast to its curved glass facade, which lights up the harbour at night.

Inside is just as impressive, with various stages ranging from a main auditorium seating 1,700 to the Takkelloftet, a tiny 'black box' theatre for experimental work. Currently home of the Royal Danish Theatre, the venue runs a diverse and high quality programme that's well worth investigating.