Realdania is a private association in
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
which supports projects in architecture and planning. It was established in 2000 following the sale of
Realkredit Danmark to
Danske Bank
Danske Bank A/S (, ) is a Danish multinational banking and financial services corporation. Headquartered in Copenhagen, it is the largest bank in Denmark and a major retail bank in the northern European region with over 5 million retail custome ...
, when a fund of approximately 20 billion kroner (EUR 2.7 billion) was put aside for "philanthropic" purposes. Realkredit Danmark was owned and controlled by its members (mortgage lenders), and this set-up was kept in Realdania.
Structure
Realdania is often erroneously called a
private charitable foundation, but Realdania's legal structure is that of an association operating as a business and not a foundation. Only owners of real estate in Denmark can become members of Realdania and participate in electing members of the board. Realdania has several subsidiaries. Realdania's closed structure has provoked criticism, and the association's funds has been called "stray billions" since they are controlled by a small network of people.
Stated purposes
Its activity is concentrated on supporting projects in
architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...
and the built environment and is focused on three areas: cities, buildings and architectural heritage. The statutes of Realdania state that the association's purpose is to:
# Support non-profit and charitable purposes, primarily in the field of the built environment, and primarily in Denmark,
# Run an investment company,
# Acquire shares in companies that are engaged in activities pertaining to the built environment,
# Provide services related to the built environment, and
# Acquire and construct real property in order to preserve the built heritage and develop Danish building practice.
It can be seen that investment activities predominate other ones, so that the avowed "philanthropic" or "charitable" nature of Realdania does not particularly stand out. At the end of 2011 Realdania's endowment stood at EUR 2.1 billion.
Projects
Projects supported by Realdania include
Bispebjerg Bakke,
ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum
ARoS is an art museum in Aarhus, Denmark. The museum was established in 1859 and is the oldest public art museum in Denmark outside Copenhagen. On 7 April 2004, ARoS opened with exhibitions in a brand new modern building, 10 stories tall with a to ...
in
Aarhus
Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...
and the Brewery Site in
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
, commissioned from Dutch architect
Rem Koolhaas
Remment Lucas Koolhaas (; born 17 November 1944) is a Dutch architect, architectural theory, architectural theorist, urbanist and Professor in Practice of Architecture and Urban Design at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, Graduate School of ...
. This last real estate development, the so-called "Blox" building including the
Danish Architecture Centre, was inaugurated in 2018. Designed on the assumption that "the city has become too calm and beautified," it has been criticized as a "gloomy glass monolith."
The organization is a member of Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association
See also
*
Architecture of Denmark
The architecture of Denmark has its origins in the Viking Age, revealed by archaeological finds. It was established in the Middle Ages when first Romanesque architecture, Romanesque, then Gothic architecture, Gothic churches and cathedrals, wer ...
*
List of wealthiest charitable foundations
This is a list of wealthiest charitable foundations worldwide. It consists of the 53 largest charitable foundations, private foundations engaged in philanthropy, and other charitable organizations such as charitable trusts that have disclosed the ...
References
Further reading
*Jørgen Nue Møller (2009). ''Penge til Huse - Fra kreditforening til filantropisk virksomhed''. Realdania. .
External links
Realdania websiteRealdania Development and Change
{{Authority control
Copenhagen architecture
Foundations based in Denmark
Conservation and environmental foundations
Arts foundations based in Europe
Organizations established in 2000