Atmospheric food market in historic building

Boltens Gård in central Copenhagen was for many years a discotheque, but following a major renovation, the place now boasts a food market for a wider audience.

To the delight of tourists and Copenhageners alike, the city has a new food hotspot – Boltens Food Court – where tasty culinary experiences and good times can unfold in historical settings.

However, the place required careful renovation, as the original merchant’s house Baron Boltens Gård at the address 8 Gothersgade is a listed building. It was built in 1767 and is therefore one of Copenhagen’s oldest buildings. Having housed a discotheque for years, the place was in dire need of a makeover.

The new food market – named Boltens Food Court – is inspired by the former Copenhagen Street Food on the ‘Paper Island’ in the Copenhagen harbour. At Boltens Food Court, guests can enjoy food and drink surrounded by charming half-timbered houses.

Aarstidernes Arkitekter was responsible for realising the design concept for the food market, including renovating the facade and choosing colours, lighting, interior design and furniture to match the vision. For example, the furniture is made from recycled plastic.

From unpolished to urban atmosphere

As part of the huge transformation, the first three floors of the original building – ‘Industrien’ – have been turned into what is now the food court. The food court boasts 14 food stalls serving flavourful culinary experiences from all over the world – from Morocco to Italy, India and, naturally, Denmark.

During the renovation work, an old room was discovered, a kind of stage that could be raised between the basement and the ground floor, enabling the creation of an open three-storey space. A central staircase now connects the three floors, and in warm weather, the facade along the courtyard can be opened up.

The ceilings on all levels have been fitted with sections of Troldtekt acoustic panels to absorb the noise in an acoustically challenging space. As an added bonus, the Troldtekt cement-bonded wood wool panels are a perfect visual match for the raw and unpolished look.