Rødovre, a town in Denmark and the seat of Rødovre Municipality. Approximately 36,506 inhabitants. An industrial center. The town hall was designed in 1956-1957 by Arne Jacobsen, one of the leading architects of modernism. The town is home to the Rødovre Mighty Bulls ice hockey club.
*Rødovre Town Hall (Danish: Rødovre Rådhus), a modernist town hall in the Danish town of Rødovre. The three-story building was constructed between 1952 and 1956 by Arne Jacobsen. According to Tadeusz Barucki, it is the architect’s most distinctive work (inspired in this case by the ideas of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe). The rhythmic, modular grid of the plan organizes both the building’s functionality and the façade’s design, as well as the layout of the building’s reinforced concrete structure. An internal series of paired columns supporting the town hall allows its structure to be completely concealed behind the facade’s curtain wall, constructed of glass and steel. The façade is kept to a minimum, with the only visual accent being the dark stone wall of the meeting hall, which protrudes above the building’s face (the gable walls of the building have similar cladding). The structure is set against a vast, green expanse of lawn, enhancing the overall visual appeal. The building is also known for its central staircase, suspended from the roof on orange-red steel rods. Jacobsen stripped the building of any elements he deemed superfluous and refined its form to the utmost simplicity, which he considered an expression of architecture as art. According to Tadeusz Broniewski, however, the building was characterized by a somewhat monotonous grid, enlivened only by color, and at night by internal lights. Rødovre Town Hall was the culmination of the architect’s fascination with the possibilities of curtain walls. The project demonstrates Jacobsen’s skill in combining diverse building materials: sandstone, various glass, lacquered metal elements, and stainless steel. This project earned the architect his first invitation to an architectural competition in Germany, after which he participated in subsequent competitions of this type in that country.
*Arne Jacobsen (born February 1902 in Copenhagen, died March 1971 there) was a Danish architect and interior designer. He was the first in Denmark to implement the ideas of the pioneers of modernism: Le Corbusier and L. Mies van der Rohe. He primarily designed public buildings and housing estates. He was also a creator of applied art. His development evolved from very traditional positions (Danish brick architecture) towards rational modernism. He studied at the Technical School in Copenhagen (1919-1924) and at the Academy of Fine Arts there (1924-1927). This was a period of clashing views on contemporary Danish architecture (especially neoclassical and national), in the shadow of which Jacobsen matured. Study trips organized by the Academy played a significant role in shaping the architect’s views, including: to the Paris Exhibition in 1925. It was there that Jacobsen became more familiar with the ideas of Le Corbusier and Gropius and developed his drawing technique, characterized by the elimination of irrelevant details at the expense of emphasizing the essential structural elements of the designed structures. After 1927, he took a job at the office of the Copenhagen city architect. This resulted in the first small-scale designs for Enghaveparken (gates, stages, gazebos), and later the first designs for single-family homes (for Professor Wandel’s house at Knutsvej 9, he received the Gentofte Municipality Award). Gradually, Jacobsen’s designs became increasingly modern and simplified, yet still rooted in Danish architectural traditions: the use of yellow-brown brick and steep, ceramic-tiled roofs. The second trend, drawing on the ideas of Grand European Modernism, was initiated by the architect with his own house at Rodesvej 2 in Copenhagen, built in 1928–1929. Arne Jacobsen designed the Egg chair for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen (now the Radisson Blu Royal). Jacobsen not only designed the building’s plans but also the interior designs, including all the furnishings. When the hotel opened in 1960, Egg chairs were placed in the reception area. His design, which deviated from the prevailing norm at the time, caught the attention of hotel guests, many of whom wanted to know where they could buy them. The chair later appeared on the sets of films such as “Help!”, the “Austin Powers” series, and “Zoolander.”
*Rødovre Mighty Bulls, a Danish ice hockey club based in Rødovre. Club player Mike Oliveira (2007). Club history: Rødovre SIK (1961–2003), Rødovre Mighty Bulls (2003–).
*Lars Fosgaard Eller (born July 1989 in Rødovre) is a Danish ice hockey player who represents the Danish national team. His father, Olaf (born 1960), and brother, Mads (born 1995), also played hockey. He was a Rødovre IK alumnus. He was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 2007 NHL Draft (Round 1, No. 13 overall – at that time he was the highest-drafted Danish player in the NHL draft – in 2008 his former teammate, Mikkel Bødker, was selected higher). He played seven games for the club during the 2009/2010 NHL season. He has been a player with the Montreal Canadiens since June 2010. In June 2012, he signed a two-year contract extension with the club. From late October 2012 to January 2013, during the 2012/2013 NHL lockout, he was signed to a contract with the Finnish club JYP. In July 2014, he extended his contract with the Canadiens for four years. He has been with the Washington Capitals since June 2016. In February 2018, he extended his contract with the same club for five years. He has been with the Colorado Avalanche since March 2023, returning in July and November 2024. He participated in the 2008, 2010, 2012, 2016, and 2019 World Championship tournaments.
*Helle Thorning-Schmidt (born December 1966 in Rødovre) is a Danish politician who served as Prime Minister of Denmark from October 3, 2011, to June 28, 2015. She was a Member of the European Parliament, Chairwoman of Socialdemokraterne from 2005 to 2015, and a member of the Folketinget. Education and activities until 2011: She studied at the College of Europe, where she earned a Master’s degree in European Studies in 1993. She completed her Master’s degree in Political Science at the University of Copenhagen in 1994. She worked for the Social Democratic parliamentary group and was later employed as a consultant. From 1999 to 2004, she served as a Member of the European Parliament in the 5th term. She was a member of the Socialist group and the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. In the 2005 and 2007 elections, she was elected to the Danish Parliament (Folketinget) on the Social Democratic ticket. On April 12, 2005, she became the leader of this party. She has been active since 2015. Helle Thorning-Schmidt remained a member of parliament, but resigned in 2016. She took up the position of CEO of the non-governmental organization Save the Children.
*Municipalities in Denmark. Structure after 1 January 2007. Following the 2007 reform, Denmark was divided into five regions and 98 municipalities.
