History

Øksnehallen was located in the “Brune Kødby” (the Brown Meat Market) for more than 100 years. In 1899, Ludvig Fenger, the city architect at the time, was asked to build a cattle hall. Inspired by the German cattle markets, Fenger went to work. In 1901, the cattle hall Øksnehallen was ready with room for 1,600 cattle. But already 20 years after the hall was built, the cattle market had become obsolete. In 1934, a new White Meat Market (Hvide Kødby) was ready and took over most of the activities.

Øksnehallen was still used as a stall for keeping cattle before slaughter right up until the middle of the 1960s. After that Copenhagen’s Transport Central used the area for many years.

In 1984, parts of the old cattle market were preserved and the first plans to transform the area into a recreational area for culture and leisure activities saw the light of day.

A careful and respectful restoration of the building began in 1993 and during the 1996 Cultural City activities in Copenhagen, Øksnehallen was presented to the public in it new form as one of Copenhagen’s most beautiful – and largest – exhibition and conference venues.