Studiestræde 13

The property Studiestræde 13 is situated in Copenhagen’s Latin Quarter, and its three floors and basement were erected in 1798 by master carpenter Niels Zimmer. The front house has been subject to very few alterations since it was built, and the entire complex became a listed property in 1959. Elgaard Architecture carried out preliminary studies, including archival studies, and acted as lead consultant throughout the entire project which included restoration of the stairwell, the gateroom and the front house façade, respectively.

Facts

Year
2015-2018

Theme
Restoration and refurbishment of the façade, gateroom and staircase

Client
Andelsboligforeningen NK59

Partners
Troelsgaard Rådgivende Ingeniører A/S, El-ingeniør Gert Carstensen A/S, Københavns Konservator by Anne Simonsen

Address
Studiestræde 13, 1455 Copenhagen K

For many years, maintenance of the surfaces of the staircase had been sparse, and in the 1930’s a provisional extension of the stairs leading to the top floor had been added. This greatly flawed the stairwell’s original appearance.

The disfiguring flight of stairs has been removed and a new section matching the rest of the staircase has been reconstructed.

“The property was very run down and had not been maintained for many years. All surfaces have been painted in colours based on archaeological colour chart surveys. The restoration has had a gentle approach in order to preserve the special character and materiality of the place.”

The street façade is a beautiful brick façade with Hamburg ribbons and a fine meander motif as well as limestone decorations around the windows on the bel étage and on the cordon cornice. The façade had not been maintained for many years and was in dire need of restoration. The restoration included replacement of disintegrated sandstone elements which were re-established with corresponding elements in Nexø sandstone. The masonry was rinsed off, taking into account the bricks’ glaze, and the joints were repaired. Later added and misaligned joints were replaced. In addition to the renovation of the façade’s masonry, a thorough examination of all the windows in the street façade was carried out. Demolished parts were replaced, and the window frames were painted and fitted with removable windows on the inside.

The gateroom before the restoration

The gateroom after the restoration. It has been closed off with a ledged and braced gate similar to the original one towards the courtyard; only the pintles were left of the original gate. The wooden deck of the room has been re-established, and all surfaces have been renewed and repainted.

“Due to its form, the staircase is quite unique for houses from the late 1700’s and bears resemblance to Italian or Dutch counterparts from the same period.”

In 1866, literatus Johan Jørgensen-Jomtou (1791-1866) lived in the property. He was a peculiar person who had tried his hand at different professions such as weaver, journalist and scriptwriter. Jørgensen-Jomtou ended his days as one of Copenhagen's originals, but had in fact been King Christian VIII's trusted adviser and received substantial financial support from the king.

Durchsichten – the space in the middle of the staircase – has been reconstructed from the gateroom to the roof, and the staircase construction has been secured. All the surfaces of the staircase have been gently cleaned and painted. The colour scheme is based on colour chart archaeology studies.