{{Short description|Street in Copenhagen, Denmark}} {{Infobox street | name = Vester Voldgade | native_name = | image = Vester Voldgade CPH.jpg | image_size = 320px | caption = Vester Voldgade with the Copenhagen Town hall tower | former_names = | length_m = 1130 | width = | location = [[Copenhagen]], [[Denmark]] | quarter =[[Indre By|City centre]] | postal_code = 1552 | metro = [[Rådhuspladsen Station|Rådhuspladsen]] | coordinates = {{coord|55|40|29.8|N|12|34|19.38|E}} | direction_a = Northwest | terminus_a = [[Jarmers Plads]] | direction_b = Southeast | terminus_b = [[Christians Brygge]] | junction = [[City Hall Square, Copenhagen|City Hall Square]] }} '''Vester Voldgade''' ([[literal translation|lit.]] "West Rampart Street") is a street in [[Copenhagen]], [[Denmark]] which runs from [[Jarmers Plads]] to the waterfront between [[Frederiksholms Kanal]] and [[Langebro]], passing the [[City Hall Square, Copenhagen|City Hall Square]] on the way.

Together with [[Nørre Voldgade]] and [[Øster Voldgade]] it forms a traffic artery which arches around the [[Zealand]] side of central Copenhagen all the way to [[Kastellet, Copenhagen|Kastellet]] (at [[Oslo Plads]] on the coast north of the city centre. The three streets follow the course of Copenhagen's long gone [[Fortifications of Copenhagen (17th century)|Bastioned Fortification Ring]] and thus marks the transition between the Old Town and the new neighbourhoods that developed after the fortifications were removed in the second half of the 19th century.

==History== [[Image:Halmtorvet med Lucie-møllen, Vejerboden og Philosofgangen mod Vartov.png|thumb|200px|left|The Philosopher's Path seen from the Haymarket, with Lucia Mill on one side and Vejerboden on the other]] [[Image:Filosofgangen viewed towards Halmtorvet (2).jpg|thumb|200px|The street in about 1880]] [[Image:Håndværkerstiftelsen (1900).jpg|thumb|200px|Håndværkerstiftelsen's building on the corner of Vester Voldgade and [[Ny Kongensgade]], 1900]] Vester Voldgade was originally a narrow alley which ran along the inner margin of Copenhagen's [[Vestervold (fortification)|West Rampart]], part of the [[Fortifications of Copenhagen (17th century)|Bastioned Fortification Ring]] which enclosed Copenhagen. The [[Halmtorvet|city's haymarket]] was located at the site of the current City Hall Square until the [[Halmtorvet|New Haymarket]] was inaugurated on 1 January 1888. The section from the haymarket to the harbour was originally known as Filosofgangen (English: Philosopher's Path). That section of the ramparts was one of the last to be decommissioned, surviving until 1885.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indenforvoldene.dk/vester%20voldgade.html|title=Vester Voldgade|language=da|publisher=indenforvoldene.dk|access-date=2013-11-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821193057/http://www.indenforvoldene.dk/vester%20voldgade.html|archive-date=2014-08-21|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Langebro|Lange Bridge]] was located at the far end of the street until 1903 when it was moved to the end of [[H. C. Andersens Boulevard|Vestre Boulevard]] (now H. C. Andersens Boulevard).

==Notable buildings and residents== No. 11 was built for [[Niels Gade]]'s [[Royal Danish Academy of Music|Music Academy]] in 1887 in the [[Renaissance Revival architecture|Renaissance Revival]] style by Christian L Thuren. It now houses the [[Russian Center of Science and Culture, Copenhagen|Russian Center of Science and Culture]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pisserenden.com/ejendomme/vester-voldgade-11/|title=Vester Voldgade 11|language=da|publisher=pisserenden.com|access-date=28 September 2015}}</ref> No. 19 and 21 are both from the late 1790s and are listed. Hotel Kong Frederik at No. 23-25 first opened in 1900. The building was designed by Phillip Smidth who also designed Politikens Hus on the corner with Vestergade in 1904&ndash;07. The newspaper [[Politiken]] has been based in the building since 1912. Vester Voldgade Voldgade 33 is a Functionalist extension from 1934.

The low yellow building at No. 119 is a former hay storage from about 1799, part of the [[Royal Horse Guards Barracks (Copenhagen)|Royal Horse Guards Barracks]]. The building was originally considerably longer but was shortened when [[Thorvald Jørgensen]]'s Post Giro Building (No. 133) was built in 1938.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.indenforvoldene.dk/vester%20voldgade%20119a-c-121a-123%20-%20frederiksholms%20kanal%2026-26c-f-28-28a-h.html|title=Vester Voldgade 119a-b-123/Frederiksholms Kanal 26-28|language=da|publisher=indenforvoldene.dk|access-date=2013-11-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822062431/http://www.indenforvoldene.dk/vester%20voldgade%20119a-c-121a-123%20-%20frederiksholms%20kanal%2026-26c-f-28-28a-h.html|archive-date=2014-08-22|url-status=dead}} </ref> The 45-bay, half-timbered building on the other side of the Post Giro Building, part of ''[[Fæstningens Materialgård]]'', a former military storage facility, is from 1748.

Vester Voldgade School (89) was completed in 1890 to a design by [[Ludvig Fenger]]. It has housed ''Den Classenske Legatskole'' since 1938.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dcl.kk.dk/Infoweb/indhold/Skolens%20historie/Skolens%20historie%20fra%201725%20til%201993.pdf|title=Skolens historie fra 1725 til 1993:|language=da|publisher=Den Classenske Legatskole|access-date=2013-11-08}}</ref> The low building on the corner of Stormgade (Stormgade 18) was the first home of ''Overformynderiet'' which later moved to a new building on [[Holmens Kanal]]. The building was designed by [[Hans Jørgen Holm]] and is from 1884.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kulturarv.dk/fbb/sagvis.pub?sag=3103161|title=Sag: Overformynderiet (tidl.)|language=da|publisher=Kulturstyrelsen|access-date=2014-01-03}}</ref>

<gallery class="center" widths=170px heights=140px> Image:Vester Voldgade (Copenhagen).jpg|The renovated street Image:Vester Voldgade (februar 2014).JPG|The Hay Storage Image:Hestegardekasernen - Vester Voldgade gate.JPG|The Classen School Image:Vester Voldgade - Hotel Danmarkcruise.jpg|Hotel København Image:Vester Voldgade - Copenhagen Central Fire Station.jpg|[[Copenhagen Central Fire Station]] </gallery>

==Regnbuepladsen== [[File:Regnbuepladsen, Copenhagen, Denmark.jpg|thumb|Regnbuepladsen]] The small space in front of Vartorv and Palace Hotel, adjoining the City Hall Square, was renovated to a design by Hall McKnight in 2013. The refurbished square received a [[Civic Trust Award]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.civictrustawards.org.uk/winners/region/Denmark|title=Winners in Denmark|publisher=Civic Trust Awards|access-date=2014-05-24|archive-date=2014-05-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525232725/http://www.civictrustawards.org.uk/winners/region/Denmark|url-status=dead}}</ref> and a [[RIBA European Award#2914|RIBA EU Award]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Contactus/NewsAndPress/PressReleases/2014/Thebestnewbuildings%E2%80%932014RIBANationalAwardwinnersareannounced.aspx|title=The Best New Buildings|publisher=RIBA|access-date=2014-06-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104184003/http://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Contactus/NewsAndPress/PressReleases/2014/Thebestnewbuildings%E2%80%932014RIBANationalAwardwinnersareannounced.aspx|archive-date=2014-11-04|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 1 July 2014, the space was renamed Regnbuepladsen (English: Rainbow Square) in reference to the [[rainbow flag]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://politiken.dk/kultur/ECE2257148/efter-et-aars-protester-nu-faar-koebenhavn-sin-regnbueplads/|title=Efter et års protester: Nu får København sin Regnbueplads|language=da|publisher=Politiken|access-date=2014-06-29}}</ref>

==Transport== The main staircase of the [[Rådhuspladsen Station|Rådhuspladsen]] [[Copenhagen Metro]] station faces the square.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Vester Voldgade}} * [http://www.kk.dk/Borger/ByOgTrafik/Anlaegsprojekter/PladserOgOphold/~/media/04842E0D60114AEB94E421C7DB2DC6D2.ashx Plan]{{dead link|date=July 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} of the new promenade and square

{{coord|55|40|30|N|12|34|19|E|region:DK_type:landmark_source:kolossus-nowiki|display=title}}

[[Category:Streets in Copenhagen]]