Sewage Odors Force Danish Courts to Abandon New Building

Copenhagen and Frederiksberg courts are temporarily abandoning a newly built special courthouse due to severe and unpleasant odors emanating from the building.

After years of delays, the courthouse near Vestre Fængsel (Western Prison) opened last December. However, by this summer, both Copenhagen City Court and Frederiksberg Court decided to halt preliminary hearings scheduled for the coming weeks. Michael Villemoes, administrative chief at Copenhagen City Court, confirmed issues with the ventilation system, stating, "There are some problems with the ventilation out there. Occasionally, there's a problem, making it uncomfortable to be in the rooms."

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There are some problems with the ventilation out there. Occasionally, there's a problem, making it uncomfortable to be in the rooms.

Reports from individuals who spent extended periods in the rooms mentioned headaches. Consequently, preliminary hearings for Copenhagen City Court have been relocated back to its city center premises. Last week, Jacob Waage, chief justice at Frederiksberg Court, announced that preliminary hearings would move to the court's main building on Howitzvej in Frederiksberg.

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There is a somewhat indefinable sewage smell. It's also related to the ventilation, we are told.

Waage described the smell as resembling rotten eggs and manure, a description Villemoes corroborated. "There is a somewhat indefinable sewage smell. It's also related to the ventilation, we are told," Villemoes said, adding that the building's design prevents opening windows, making it entirely reliant on the ventilation system functioning correctly.

The specially secured courthouse, adjacent to Vestre Fængsel, contains two rooms for preliminary hearings, one for each court. A secure courtroom in the basement is intended for high-security cases, such as terrorism and gang-related trials. Construction costs for the new building reached $182.4 million as of January 1st. The Danish Building and Property Agency, responsible for the building's operation, has been tasked with finding a permanent solution to the ventilation problems. Court officials noted they were not involved in the building's design, which they believe could have been improved with their input.

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We would of course have liked to have been able to contribute some things that could have made it better.