The sculptor’s studio in the rear building at 34 Rådmandsgade in Copenhagen’s outer Nørrebro district was the modest home and workplace of Astrid Noack (1888–1954) from 1936 to 1950, and this is where she created some her most important works.
Unlike the rest of the street, both the front building and the original rear yard in no. 34 have survived and now stand as an authentic pocket of time. However, the ravages of time have left their mark on the rooms. The studio and the adjacent storage room have now been renovated with funds from the New Carlsberg Foundation to serve as a setting for artistic activities, residencies and projects (see more at www.astrid-noack.dk). The foundation that owns the building is continuing its efforts to secure the necessary funding to renovate the entire complex.
Creative centre
In his speech at the official opening of the renovated studio, the chairman of the New Carlsberg Foundation, Karsten Ohrt, said:
‘Normally, we do not fund restoration projects, but we felt that the character and the context of this particular project warranted an exception. The restoration was elegantly executed by the architect Erik Brandt Dam, who has managed to preserve the original style and atmosphere. We hope that the foundation behind 34 Rådmandsstræde will succeed in its efforts to renovate the rest of the property, to reinstate it as a creative powerhouse in this part of the city, which is currently the site of increasingly interesting developments.’
Gentle hands
The sculptor’s studio in no. 34 was a meeting place for contemporary artists and members of the cultural scene, including a young Knud W. Jensen, who visited the studio several times to purchase works by Astrid Noack. But it was also a home to visiting artists from abroad, whom Astrid Noack knew from her time in Paris and whom she put up in a rented room in the front building. Neighbourhood locals, including children, who were always especially welcomed by Noack, were also frequent visitors to the workshop and the yard.
It is precisely this environment and this spirit that the foundation behind 34 Rådmandsstræde wishes to preserve and keep alive. Thus, the foundation’s vision for the property is ‘to preserve the unique ambience of the property as a venue where small businesses and cultural/social activities can co-exist side by side and serve as a future asset for the neighbourhood and the city of Copenhagen. In its vision, the foundation emphasizes that a future renovation must be carried out gently and with profound respect for the cultural-historical qualities of the building and the yard.’
