Copenhagen, Denmark –
The mayor of Copenhagen said Thursday that she has been in contact with her counterpart in Paris to see what can be learned from the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral in the French capital, after a fire devastated the Stock Exchange building. of the 400-year-old Danish city. .
Firefighters were still at the scene two days after a fire destroyed half of the Old Copenhagen Stock Exchange, which dates back to 1615, and collapsed its iconic dragon-tail-shaped spire.
The Danish Chamber of Commerce, which was based in the Old Stock Exchange and owns the building, has said it wants the building to be rebuilt. However, no decision has yet been made on who will finance the reconstruction, a project that would cost millions, if not billions, of crowns (dollars) and take years.
Sophie Hæstorp Andersen, mayor of the Danish capital, told The Associated Press that she had been in contact with Paris Mayor Anne Hildago to discuss how the French handled the reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral after a fire in April of 2019 will devastate the 800-year-old monument. . Its restoration is planned for this year.
Hildago gave “some good comments on how to act quickly, how Paris handled the donations and the restoration that needs to be done quickly,” Hæstorp Andersen said.
“We face a huge task when it comes to rebuilding Boersen together with the Danish Chamber of Commerce… but we know that this can be done quickly,” he said, using the Danish name for the Stock Exchange building.
He added that Hildago has invited a Danish team to meet those behind the reconstruction of the Notre Dame spire.
Tuesday’s fire was believed to have started in the roof during renovations, but the cause was still unclear and police had not yet entered the burned portion of the building to investigate.
Work to stabilize the building continued Thursday, with the Greater Copenhagen Fire Department saying they “expect to be present at the fire scene for at least one more day.”
Several streets around the charred building, including a main road that runs past it, will remain closed until at least Monday, Danish media reported.
As the fire engulfed the building on Tuesday, passersby, Chamber of Commerce staff, police officers and firefighters rushed inside the building to save their treasures. Many of the building’s most valuable contents, including irreplaceable paintings and other works of art, had been saved. Among them was the huge 1895 painting “Of the Copenhagen Stock Exchange” by Danish artist PS Krøyer, the Chamber of Commerce said.
The exchange, known for its green copper roof and distinctive 56-meter (184-foot) spire in the shape of four interlocking dragon tails, is located on the waterfront next to the Danish parliament.
The building is considered a leading example of the Dutch Renaissance style in Denmark. The Chamber of Commerce moved into the building after the Copenhagen Stock Exchange left in 1974.