Continuum - a church transformation in Copenhagen

Designed by Architect Christian Hansen and constructed in 1858-1863, Københavns Kommunehospital was built as a response to the lack of hospital capacity in Copenhagen during the cholera epidemic in 1853. After operating for 138 years, the hospital closed in 2001, despite several years of protest, and to many’s disappointment and frustration. In 2004, the estate was sold to Jeudan A/S, and since 2005, the University of Copenhagen has leased most of the premises. In 2024, the University of Copenhagen notified its termination of contract. As an effect, Jeudan A/S has begun work on developing a masterplan for the former hospital complex, aiming to attract a new suitable tenant and transforming the estate into a new, active neighbourhood with greater connections to the surrounding area.

Zooming in on a fraction of the former Københavns Kommunehospital, Continuum - a church transformation in Copenhagen deals with the hospital church located on the second floor of the main building. From the Østerfarimagsgade facing façade, its location is revealed by the stained glass window section between the two symmetrical main entrance gates and the remarkable copper dome at the top. Up until the hospital closure in 2001 the church was used by patients. However, since then, the room has remained unused. The church has never been included in the University of Copenhagen’s lease agreement and has therefore been a locked-up and abandoned space for almost 25 years. 

Recognizing the spatial potential of the room and with skilled conservationists and craftsmen at their disposal, Jeudan A/S intends to preserve the former church. The company plans to reactivate the space and integrate it into the future program of the area, and wishes to explore the possibility of a restoration that goes beyond a 1:1 return to the church’s original state. This thesis project engages with exactly this part of the transformation task.

Within an adaptive reuse context and in connection to the forthcoming transformation of the former Københavns Kommunehospital, Continuum - a church transformation in Copenhagen aims to propose a new use of the hospital church, focusing on adaptation of the existing furnishings and spatial reorganisation. 

The proposal approaches the adaptation task respectfully, addressing the challenges of balancing preservation and innovation, whilst exploring the tension between past and future, old and new. 

QUESTION:

Aiming to preserve the integrity of the site, how can the historical and religious furnishings of the church at the former Københavns Kommunehospital be integrated into a contemporary use of the space?

Continuum - a church transformation in Copenhagen proposes transforming the church at the former Københavns Kommunehospital into a communal space with a sustained emphasis on elements from the original church program - fellowship, immersion and knowledge exchange. 

For Copenhageners living in compact homes, the transformed church offers an additional living area, enabling socializing and gathering. The space will be an intellectual hub for both professional use and leisure, consisting of 3 notions: the living room, the reading room and the salon. Each function will involve different yet overlapping activities that will take place at different times throughout the day. The space will house a trust bar - a self-service coffee, tea, and drinks station built on trust, where guests pour and pay for their own beverages, and the former hospital crockery will be reintroduced.

The space will be public and therefore not only available for the residents living in the anticipated student and micro living accommodation on the premises, who simply must cross the estate to get to it, but also open to all other city dwellers, reaching the main building from Østerfarimagsgade. However, access to the space requires registration and a minor, symbolic user fee, which will go towards the daily running costs, including the occasional salon events arranged by a potential board or committee. Amongst users, this should create a feeling of ownership and a willingness to keep the space tidy. The difficult access and concealed location of the space ensure that only those who are truly intent on using, appreciating and caring for the space make the effort to find it.

While acknowledging the heritage and religious significance of the Københavns Kommunehospital church, the applied design strategy has consisted of a conceptual, sustainable and playful approach allowing for reinterpretation of the original, formal ecclesiastical interior. The project has involved both reuse and dismantling of selected original elements. The process of the project has been significantly informed by the use of scale models as an exploratory and analytical tool. These have been used for sketching and testing. 

By introducing new zones within the space and paying particular attention to the seating, the project explores how church elements can be reused and repositioned to highlight the room’s architectural qualities while supporting a new program. The project engages with furniture design and spatial planning in detail, while the introduction of a mezzanine, trust bar and artificial lighting is addressed at a strategic level.

Central to the intervention has been the development of a series of seating configurations derived from the existing pews. Some have been preserved in their original form, while others have been deconstructed and reassembled in unconventional ways, incorporating newly added components to expand their spatial and functional expression. Focusing on making the existing pews more comfortable and suitable for consecutive hours’ use, the incline of the backrest and depth of the seat have been adjusted and cushions have been introduced for extra comfort. Various samples have been produced, before arriving at the proposed seating ensemble.

Also, spatial conditions within the church has served as a determining factor within the establishment of the furniture design. The curve of the existing Altar podium, corresponding also to the radius of the dome, has been repeated in the proposed curved benches and the Altar has been trimmed to echo and accentuate the vaulted ceiling.

A mezzanine will be introduced to the space, which will be accessed using elements of the original Pulpit. Like the existing pews and Altar, the Pulpit has been dismantled with its steps and balustrade repurposed in the new design. Additionally, the existing staircase has been elongated with extra steps allowing for a reasonable ceiling height underneath the mezzanine. The dimensions and rhythm of the new balustrade reference the existing design, creating visual continuity, while also functioning as structural support for the mezzanine. Aside from its vertical division of the space, the structure of the mezzanine will contain electric wiring and serve as a heating source with in-built heating, replacing the current radiators. 

Below the mezzanine, the original Altar podium has been retained and expanded. Openings in the podium allow for the insertion and lowering of the modified pews, creating a lowered seating position without altering the pews’ original height. 

New tables have been added to the proposed ensemble of furnishings, continuing the design language of the two existing side tables. The lower version will be stackable, working both as a side table and a stool when in need of extra seating, and the long tables will be foldable and stored away in the trust bar cabinets during salon events.

The narthex at the entrance of the church encourages visitors to leave their coats and shoes upon entry. This new zone is defined by repositioning the modified Altar, with the removed Altarpiece now framing the transformed space. The living room occupies the remainder of the nave in the morning and evening hours and transforms into a reading room during the day. The mezzanine offers a quiet retreat where users can sit undisturbed. Beneath the dome, overlapping the shared living room and reading room area, is the flexible salon zone, where occasional events will be held.

The placement of the proposed ensemble of furnishings relates to existing spatial references. The central linear axis has been sustained in the joint living room and reading room situation and the position of the new lounge seating area is in correspondence with the curve of the Altar podium. The width of the Altar has determined the position of the pew in the narthex zone, and the position of the curved benches is aligned with the dome.

The floor has been kept relatively free, not obstructing the dramatic sunlight pattern coming from the smaller windows. The long tables have been positioned in the soft but consistent light zones from the large window section and the skylight in the dome.

As part of my proposal, I have developed an artificial lighting strategy. Central to this approach is the reintroduction of a large, dimmable chandelier suspended beneath the dome. This prominent fixture functions as a unifying element across both the living room, reading room and salon program, emphasizing the central theme of gathering through its scale and positioning.
Beneath the mezzanine, lighting will be provided by movable floor lamps, offering flexibility and creating smaller intimate zones. On the mezzanine level, table lamps will be introduced similarly to foster private atmospheres. 
Additionally, the existing wall lamp concept will be retained and expanded. New wall fixtures will be introduced, arranged symmetrically on the end wall, both below and above the mezzanine, to reinforce architectural rhythm and continuity while enhancing overall illumination.

The proposed design envisions a sensory, tactile space. The existing wall-to-wall carpet will be replaced with a thick, soft alternative in a muted pink, complementing the existing colour palette, pleasant to walk on wearing only socks.

The existing green hue of the pews will be preserved, and so will the original colors of the Altar, Pulpit staircase and balustrade. New tables will be crafted from unpainted, soft-sanded pinewood, a deliberate reference to the core materiality of the original furnishings. Likewise, the trust bar cabinets will be constructed from pinewood, with the fronts painted to match the lower wall colour, allowing the units to visually integrate into the space. A sound absorbing linoleum countertop will enhance acoustic performance, while a brass sink introduces a subtle note of luxury, referencing the Byzantine detailing present elsewhere in the church.

The additional steps added to the existing Pulpit staircase will be fabricated from steel, spray painted glossy, light pink, topped with pink linoleum to aid in sound absorption and ensure visual consistency. The mezzanine steel structure and its minimal balustrade will be executed in the same material. Beneath the mezzanine, the glossy ceiling surface will reflect the natural light and rich hues cast by the stained glass windows. On the upper level, the steel mezzanine floor will be finished with light pink linoleum similarly to the steps, and layered with loose rugs that correspond in tone and texture to the nave carpet.

To extend the current use of velvet in the Altar area and highlight a sense of warmth and subtle ecclesiastical exaltation, velvet will be used for the seat cushions and the upholstered backrests. The chosen colour palette echoes colours in the ornamented ceiling. 

Continuum – a church transformation in Copenhagen offers a thoughtful and site-specific response to the architectural challenge of giving unused religious spaces renewed relevance. 

Treating the furniture as a compositional whole, the intervention respects the religious integrity of the church through a balanced and respectful strategy of alteration and reinterpretation, exploring how original ecclesiastical elements can be reimagined to serve a contemporary purpose.

With the proposal of a shared public living room, reading room and salon function, the project aims to share the stories and heritage of the listed church space. Continuum - a church transformation in Copenhagen strives to provide a sense of continuity, connecting the past with the present and preserving both history and memory within a modern context.