After making beer for more than 160 years in Copenhagen, Carlsberg moved its production in 2008 to the Jutland peninsula. The valuable real estate just 2½km from Copenhagen’s historic center is since then transforming into a mixed-use commercial and residential zone, known as the Carlsberg City District. Opened to the public in 2009, the industrial complex which spreads over more than 30 hectares is still dominated by numerous historic and restored 19th- and early 20th-century buildings, many of which have lavish ornamentations, as well as two historic gardens. 13 building complexes and a garden are protected.
Newest addition is the 155-room Hotel Ottilia, a homage to Ottilia, the Scottish-born wife of Carlsberg brewer Carl Jacobsen. The four-star hotel is located right next to the famous elephant gate and pairs unpolished architectural details, such as the remaining grain silos and malt chambers, against modern features that include a three-storey x-ray light sculpture.
Construction of Carlsberg’s new headquarter with 15,500 m² of office space plus 7,700 m² of underground parking was started in February 2017 and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2019. The central atrium of the four-story office complex, which is formed by two of the three wings of the building, opens on to Carl Jacobsen's Garden and Villa overlooking Carlsberg Byen (inside.beer, 15.1.2019).
80% of all buildings will be finished by 2021, according to Carlsberg Byen CEO Jens Nyhus. Carlsberg Byen is 25 percent owned by Carlsberg but independent form the beer maker, with the rest belonging to three Danish pension funds. Half of the whole area is dedicated to residential buildings, while 35% are reserved for offices and retail, and another 15% for sports, education and cultural facilities. Upon completion in 2024, the whole redevelopment will have costed about USD3 billion.
