Kannikegade Hotel & Retail

Seven types of marble, sky-high ceilings, and handmade wooden details. Less definitely isn't more in the unique, historic buildings of Kannikegade 4-6 and Wormhus in Aarhus. For more than 130 years, money has been moving around the majestic rooms, which until recently housed a filial of Danske Bank. In this new decade, the old bank vaults will be unlocked and a remarkable piece of history accessible to the public.

In the historical heart of Aarhus, where the canal creates a natural gathering point in the city, two buildings are brimming with history and mystery: Kannikegade 4-6 and Wormhus. The former was built in 1933, while the latter dates all the way back to 1884. With seven different types of marble, sky-high ceilings and handmade wooden details, the two connected buildings reveal a past where more was more.

We’re now dusting off these two examples of extraordinary architecture in order to preserve and open them up to the public. Together with our client, we’re restoring and transforming the former bank buildings into an ambitious, mixed-use project with restaurants, shops, and a hotel.
First and foremost, the project is about preserving two unique, historic buildings. We are starting the restoration because we have a passion for architecture and historic buildings. The task comes with great responsibility, which we take very seriously,” says the client.

On the basement level, a new restaurant will be facing the canal. Shops and a hotel reception will be placed on the ground floor, and the first and second floors will house hotel rooms. A hotel restaurant on the top floor offers a view of the historic city. On all floors, nuances of marble colour the rooms, while old bank vaults and floor-to-ceiling grid windows evoke memories of the buildings’ past.

Breathing new life into old bricks isn’t exactly a new practice for Dorte Mandrup. One example is the listed Mineral Water Factory in the Carlsberg City District, which is currently being restored and transformed into a mixed-use building.