Palads Biograferne, Copenhagen

Palads Biograferne is a cinema operated by Nordisk Film, and its vivid pastel exterior makes it one of the most recognisable entertainment buildings around Axeltorv. The venue now has 17 auditoriums and 2,600 seats, offering a broad film programme. Its story began when Copenhagen’s former central railway station was transformed for cinema use; Palads opened on 18 October 1912 with 1,780 seats and a 30-man orchestra.

The station building was later replaced by the present structure, designed by Andreas Clemmensen and Johan Nielsen. On the roof, Kai Nielsen’s sculpture of Ursus and the Bull has watched over the cinema since the building’s early years. Poul Gernes created the pastel exterior in 1989. The cinema has also hosted sports events and ballet performances, and parts of it appear in Danish films.