Realdania is a private association in
Denmark
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, song_type = National and royal anthem
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, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
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which supports projects in architecture and planning. It was established in 2000 following the sale of
Realkredit Danmark to
Danske Bank
Danske Bank A/S is a Danish multinational banking and financial services corporation. Headquartered in Copenhagen, it is the largest bank in Denmark and a major retail bank in the northern European region with over 5 million retail customers. ...
, when a fund of approximately 20 billion kroner (EUR 2.7 billion) was put aside for "philanthropic" purposes. Realkredit Danmark was owned and controlled by its members (mortgage lenders), and this set-up was kept in Realdania.
Structure
Realdania is often erroneously called a
private charitable foundation, but Realdania's legal structure is that of an association operating as a business and not a foundation. Only owners of real estate in Denmark can become members of Realdania and participate in electing members of the board. Realdania has several subsidiaries. Realdania's closed structure has provoked criticism, and the association's funds has been called "stray billions" since they are controlled by a small network of people.
Stated purposes
Its activity is concentrated on supporting projects in
architecture
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...
and the built environment and is focused on three areas: cities, buildings and architectural heritage. The statutes of Realdania state that the association's purpose is to:
# Support non-profit and charitable purposes, primarily in the field of the built environment, and primarily in Denmark,
# Run an investment company,
# Acquire shares in companies that are engaged in activities pertaining to the built environment,
# Provide services related to the built environment, and
# Acquire and construct real property in order to preserve the built heritage and develop Danish building practice.
It can be seen that investment activities predominate other ones, so that the avowed "philanthropic" or "charitable" nature of Realdania does not particularly stand out. At the end of 2011 Realdania's endowment stood at EUR 2.1 billion.
Projects
Projects supported by Realdania include
Bispebjerg Bakke, ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum in
Aarhus
Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and approximately northwest ...
and the Brewery Site in Copenhagen, commissioned from Dutch architect
Rem Koolhaas
Remment Lucas Koolhaas (; born 17 November 1944) is a Dutch architect, architectural theorist, urbanist and Professor in Practice of Architecture and Urban Design at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University. He is often cited as a re ...
. This last real estate development, the so-called "Blox" building including the
Danish Architecture Centre
Danish Architecture Center (Danish: Dansk Arkitektur Center), (DAC), is Denmark’s national center for the development and dissemination of knowledge about architecture, building and urban development.
DAC’s objective and legitimacy consist in ...
, was inaugurated in 2018. Designed on the assumption that "the city has become too calm and beautified," it has been criticized as a "gloomy glass monolith."
The organization is a member of Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association
See also
*
Architecture of Denmark
Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...
*
List of wealthiest charitable foundations
This is a list of wealthiest charitable foundations worldwide. It consists of the 45 largest charitable foundations, private foundations engaged in philanthropy, and other charitable organizations such as charitable trusts that have disclosed the ...
References
Further reading
*Jørgen Nue Møller (2009). ''Penge til Huse - Fra kreditforening til filantropisk virksomhed''. Realdania. .
External links
Realdania websiteRealdania Development and Change
{{Authority control
Copenhagen architecture
Foundations based in Denmark
Conservation and environmental foundations
Arts foundations based in Europe
Organizations established in 2000