National Opera House, Copenhagen

Amaliehaven Park offers views of the National Opera House (Operaen på Holmen), the main stage of the Royal Danish Theatre.

The building forms a single architectural ensemble with the park, despite the fact that it is located on the other side of the Inderhavn harbor.

Like Amaliehaven Park, the theater building is the brainchild of the Chastine McKinney Møller Foundation, which proposed the construction of a modern theater in 2000 and presented the project of architect Henning Larsen. The proposal caused a heated discussion in parliament, in particular, some deputies were offended by the fact that the image institution of state significance will be financed by a private investor, others were outraged by the fact that under Danish laws the developer will receive a tax break, thereby actually selling the building to the state. However, common sense prevailed, and construction began in June 2001.

Arnold Møller , president of the foundation that financed the construction, specially visited the world's most famous theaters and wished that the new building would embody all their best features. Moeller personally supervised the work of architects and design engineers, took part in the selection of materials, and acted as a tester of spectator seats.

Construction was completed in October 2004, and the grand opening took place on January 15 of the following year in the presence of Danish Prime Minister Anders Rasmussen and Queen Margrethe II.

Copenhagen Opera has become the most high-tech theater in the world. The main stage has five quick-change platforms, the transformable hall can accommodate 1,492 or 1,703 spectators, depending on the size of the orchestra, the orchestra pit can accommodate up to 110 musicians and is the largest in the world. The acoustics of the hall are designed to get the perfect sound quality in any place. The huge glass lobby offers a wonderful view of the city.

Naturally, all this was not cheap - the theater became the most expensive public building in the world-the construction cost was half a billion US dollars. A state-of-the-art temple of art has lifted the curtain 2 years ahead of a similar high-tech opera house in Oslo.