Copenhagen Opera House

The Copenhagen Opera House was a gift — but the kind of gift that comes with strings attached, a controlling donor, and enough drama to fill several operas. Shipping magnate Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, one of the richest men in Danish history, donated the building to the state in August 2000 at a cost of 2.5 billion Danish kroner, roughly 370 million US dollars, making it one of the most expensive opera houses ever built. The catch was that Møller had very specific opinions about how his gift should look, and architect Henning Larsen, one of Denmark's most celebrated designers, found himself in a prolonged battle with his patron over nearly every design decision.

The result is a building that locals have nicknamed "the toaster" — a massive rectangular block of German Jura limestone with a cantilevered roof that extends 32 metres over the harbour front like a giant awning. Opinions are violently divided: some consider it a masterpiece of contemporary architecture that won the IABSE Outstanding Structure Award in 2008; others think it looks like an appliance. Henning Larsen himself reportedly called the compromises forced by Møller his greatest professional regret. The building sits directly across the harbour from Amalienborg Palace, on an axis so precise that you can draw a straight line from the queen's dining room to the opera stage.

Inside, the political disputes evaporate. The main auditorium seats 1,800 in a classical horseshoe configuration and is acoustically superb. The foyer, with its maple-leaf ceiling panels and floor-to-ceiling harbour views, is one of the most dramatic public interiors in Scandinavia. A smaller experimental stage, Takkelloftet, seats 200 for contemporary performances. In total, the building contains over 1,100 rooms spread across 14 floors — an entire city of performance hidden behind that controversial facade.

Inaugurated on January 15, 2005, with a gala performance attended by the queen, the Opera House has become Copenhagen's most architecturally debated landmark. The harbour ferries that pass in front of it give you the best view — and the best opportunity to decide for yourself whether it is a masterpiece or a toaster.