Nordisk Film’s revised plan for the Palads cinema renovation in Copenhagen will preserve at least 90% of the original facade, a significant increase from the initially proposed 14%. This adjustment comes after the Copenhagen City Council approved the initial report for a new local plan in April 2024, stipulating several architectural modifications.

The revised project also includes setting the new facade further back from the existing structure. The total area of the project has been reduced by approximately 43%, or 11,100 square meters, primarily due to the elimination of most of the planned basement facility to minimize CO2 emissions.

“We are reducing the height of the building, significantly reducing the size of the basement and preserving Palads’ distinctive facade, just as the upper part of the building is set back,” said Asger Flygare Bech-Thomsen, CEO of Nordisk Film Cinemas, in a statement. The new building will be 30 meters high, a reduction from the original plan of 36 meters.

The updated design features eight new cinema halls, with four located in the basement and four on the first floor. A hotel with a panoramic bar on the top floor will replace the previously planned office space.

The Palads building has operated as a cinema since January 26, 1918. The building’s facade was painted in vibrant pastel colors by artist Paul Gernes in 1989.

In 2022, Nordisk Film Biografer abandoned a previous design by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). Following this, a citizen involvement process led to three proposals from the architectural firm Cobe. Nordisk Film Biografer has since adapted one of these proposals to meet political requirements.