Copenhagen’s iconic Palads cinema to be preserved and expanded with hotel addition

A long-running debate over the future of Copenhagen’s landmark Palads cinema appears to be nearing resolution, with city planners set to approve a compromise plan that preserves the building while allowing a major expansion, DR reports.

The proposal, expected to win support from Copenhagen’s Climate, Environment, and Technology Committee, would retain the building’s distinctive facade and its function as a cinema while adding a five-storey hotel. The expansion would increase the structure’s height by up to 34 metres, adding roughly 5,900 square metres of floor space.

The decision follows years of public division over the building’s fate. A public consultation drew 3,128 responses, with many calling for the preservation of both the 1980s-era architecture—including its iconic colour scheme by artist Poul Gernes—and its role as a cinema. Around 500 submissions emphasised the importance of keeping the venue as a working theatre, while 200 focused on maintaining its architectural character.

Critics, including the advocacy group Bevar Palads (Save Palads), argue the plan fails to respect public input. “It’s strange to ask citizens for their opinion and then ignore the clear answers you receive,” said group spokesperson Peter Holst Eriksen. He warned that unchecked vertical expansion could harm the city’s character for future generations.

Supporters, however, frame the plan as a necessary compromise. Morten Melchiors of the Conservative Party, a committee member, stated that modernisation is essential for the cinema’s survival. “Nordisk Film [the building’s owner] cannot continue operating the cinema without expansion and upgrades—attendance has been declining,” he said. The plan is also backed by the Social Democrats, SF, Venstre, and Liberal Alliance.

Opposition parties Enhedslisten and Alternativet argue the project alters the building’s scale and identity too drastically. The Danish Green Party’s Günay Usta criticised the process: “We take public feedback seriously, which is why we’re voting against this plan.”

Nordisk Film, which owns the property, declined an interview but confirmed in a statement that the project aims to meet both political requirements and audience demands for a “modern, accessible” cinema experience. A final political decision is expected following Monday’s committee vote.