Galleri K
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedGalleri K is a historic covered shopping arcade on Strøget in central Copenhagen.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Galleri K is a covered shopping arcade and retail property in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It occupies an entire city block between Østergade, Antonigade, Pilestræde and Kristen Bernikows Gade, immediately within the historic Strøget shopping district. The complex contains approximately 30 shops, around 10,000 square metres of floor space across two principal floors, and underground parking. Its present identity combines a historic building envelope with a modern retail and leisure environment centered on an enclosed atrium and internal arcade. The site has a long commercial and urban history. It appears in Copenhagen’s 1689 cadastre as property No. 45 in the Købmager Quarter. In the eighteenth century it was associated with the restaurateur Johan Georg Egner, and in 1789 it was acquired by the merchant Johann August Bindseil. During the Bindseil family’s ownership, the property accommodated a number of commercial, publishing and cultural activities. The Danish newspaper and information office Adressekontoret operated from the courtyard from 1809 to 1832, and a high-speed printing press was installed there in 1825. The composer Friedrich Ludwig Æmilius Kunzen also lived in the building from 1807 to 1810. A major fire on Christmas Eve 1857 damaged the side wing along Kristen Bernikows Gade and caused deaths and injuries. A long replacement wing was subsequently built, with shops at street level and rentable meeting rooms above. Part of the upper floor later became a concert hall, although that use was not commercially successful. In 1864 the space was converted into the Thalia entertainment venue, which remained in operation for roughly four decades. The property’s strongest connection to modern retail began with the department-store company Crome & Goldschmidt. The company acquired the buildings in 1884 and opened a department store there in 1887. In the late nineteenth century, developers J. Fisker and A. Volmer bought the street-front properties and constructed Volmerhus as part of the widening of Kristen Bernikows Gade. Designed by Erik Schiødte and Christian Arntzen, the new building was completed in 1901, while Crome & Goldschmidt continued as a tenant. The store later installed Denmark’s first escalators in 1927, an important example of the site’s role in the development of Copenhagen retail. Crome & Goldschmidt ceased operating as an independent department store after merging with Illum in 1971. The property was then relaunched as Cityarkaden, or City Arkaden. In 2004, a joint venture involving Danish property developer Keops and American insurer AIG acquired the building. Following a substantial refurbishment, it reopened in 2006 under the name Galleri K. The redevelopment retained the historicist character of the original architecture while introducing a contemporary covered atrium, a link between Kristen Bernikows Gade and Pilestræde, and a small café-oriented public space. In January 2020, the property was acquired by UK-based Aviva and Canadian institutional investor PSP Investments through Capital Investment. Galleri K therefore operates primarily as a location-based retail and hospitality destination rather than as a conventional product brand. Its commercial proposition is based on a central Copenhagen address, a curated concentration of shops, pedestrian accessibility, architectural heritage and the experiential qualities of an indoor arcade. The complex has also appeared as a filming location in several Danish movies, including En sømand gaar i land, Far til fire i sneen, Far til fire i byen and Tag til marked i Fjordby.
History
The site now occupied by Galleri K is documented in Copenhagen’s first cadastre of 1689 as No. 45 in the Købmager Quarter. It was again identified by that number in the 1756 cadastre. The property was later owned by the restaurateur Johan Georg Egner and, from 1789, by merchant Johann August Bindseil, whose family retained it for more than a century. The Bindseil-era property supported a mixture of commercial, publishing and cultural functions. Composer Friedrich Ludwig Æmilius Kunzen lived there from 1807 to 1810. From 1809 to 1832, Adressekontoret operated in the courtyard. The organization published Adressecontorets Efterretninger, later known as Adresseavisen. In 1825, Jens Jetsmark installed Denmark’s first high-speed printing press in the building. Adressekontoret eventually moved to larger premises in 1843. The property was damaged by a serious fire on 24 December 1857. The blaze affected the side wing on Kristen Bernikows Gade, killed two people and injured others. A new long wing was built afterward, with shops on the ground floor and meeting rooms for hire above. The upper level was later adapted as a concert hall, but that use failed commercially. In October 1864, it became the Thalia entertainment venue, which operated for approximately forty years. The transition to department-store retail began when Crome & Goldschmidt acquired the former buildings in 1884. The company opened a department store on the site in 1887. In 1897, developers J. Fisker and A. Volmer purchased the buildings along the street and developed Volmerhus in connection with the widening of Kristen Bernikows Gade. The project was designed by architects Erik Schiødte and Christian Arntzen and completed in 1901. Crome & Goldschmidt remained in the building as a tenant. In 1927, it introduced Denmark’s first escalators, reinforcing the store’s modern retail character. Crome & Goldschmidt’s independent department-store operation ended in 1971 when it merged with Illum. The property was subsequently relaunched as Cityarkaden, a new retail identity for the complex. In 2004, Danish developer Keops and American insurer AIG acquired the building through a joint venture. A major refurbishment followed, and the complex reopened in 2006 under the name Galleri K. The renovated property combines historicist architecture with modern retail infrastructure. It covers about 10,000 square metres over two main floors, includes approximately 30 shops and provides underground parking. A covered atrium and internal arcade connect Kristen Bernikows Gade with Pilestræde, while the architectural layout creates a small café-oriented public space. In January 2020, Aviva and PSP Investments acquired the property through Capital Investment. Galleri K remains a retail destination in central Copenhagen and is also associated with Danish popular culture because the former Crome & Goldschmidt premises were used as filming locations for several films in the 1950s.
- 2020
Aviva and PSP Investments acquire Galleri K
[1]The property was acquired through Capital Investment by Aviva and PSP Investments.
- 2006
Refurbished complex reopens as Galleri K
[1]After major refurbishment, the shopping arcade reopened under its current name.
- 2004
Keops and AIG acquire the property
[1]A joint venture between Danish developer Keops and American insurer AIG acquired the building.
- 1971
Cityarkaden replaces the department-store identity
[1]Following the merger of Crome & Goldschmidt with Illum, the property was relaunched as Cityarkaden.
- 1927
Denmark’s first escalators installed
[1]Crome & Goldschmidt installed escalators described as Denmark’s first.
- 1901
Volmerhus is completed
[1]The new building designed by Erik Schiødte and Christian Arntzen was completed as part of the widening of Kristen Bernikows Gade.
- 1887
Crome & Goldschmidt department store opens
[1]The company opened a department store at the site.
- 1884
Crome & Goldschmidt acquires the buildings
[1]Crome & Goldschmidt acquired the existing property ahead of its department-store development.
- 1864
Thalia entertainment venue opens
[1]The former concert-hall space was converted into the Thalia entertainment venue.
- 1857
Fire damages the side wing
[1]A fire on Christmas Eve damaged the wing along Kristen Bernikows Gade, causing two deaths and additional injuries.
Products and positioning
A centrally located Copenhagen shopping arcade that combines historic architecture, indoor pedestrian circulation, retail variety and café-oriented leisure space.
Shopping arcade · 2006
Galleri K retail arcade
Galleri K’s principal offering is a covered retail arcade in central Copenhagen. The complex brings together approximately 30 shops and related café or hospitality uses within a historic building. Its enclosed atrium and internal route provide weather-protected pedestrian circulation between Kristen Bernikows Gade and Pilestræde, while the surrounding Strøget location places it within one of Copenhagen’s best-known shopping areas.
Historic retail building · 1901
Volmerhus
Volmerhus is the historicist building completed in 1901 as part of the redevelopment and widening of Kristen Bernikows Gade. Designed by Erik Schiødte and Christian Arntzen, it formed the architectural basis for the later shopping complex and originally housed Crome & Goldschmidt as a tenant.
Brand decisions
2020
Ownership transferred to Aviva and PSP InvestmentsM&ABackground
Galleri K was acquired in January 2020 through Capital Investment.
Action taken
Aviva and PSP Investments became the reported investors in the property.
Aftermath
Galleri K continued operating as a Copenhagen shopping arcade.
2006
Galleri K identity introduced after refurbishmentStrategyBackground
Keops and AIG acquired the building in 2004 and undertook a major refurbishment.
Action taken
The renovated property reopened under the Galleri K name, with a covered atrium, internal arcade and café-oriented public space.
Aftermath
The complex adopted its current retail and leisure positioning in central Copenhagen.
1971
Rebrand from department store to CityarkadenStrategyBackground
Crome & Goldschmidt ceased operating as an independent department store after merging with Illum.
Action taken
The property was relaunched under the Cityarkaden name as a broader shopping-arcade destination.
Aftermath
The site continued operating as a retail complex before later being refurbished and renamed Galleri K.
Sources1 sources
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