Kødbyen

The district consists of three separate areas, referred to as the White, Grey and Brown Kødby for the dominant colour of their buildings.

It is also home to DGI-byen, a sports, swimming and conference complex, and the exhibition hall Øksnehallen, originally a stabling place for 1,600 cattle before slaughtering.

A municipal master plan aims at creating a mixed-use area, encouraging cultural, design, and gastronomy businesses to settle there, while retaining the meat industry.

The smaller grey district has been revitalized to a lesser extent than the aforementioned white and brown areas, still having a low-scale meat industry.

[1] In 1671 a cattle market was established at the private initiative of Court Butcher Niels Olufsen at the border of Frederiksberg and Vesterbro.

A municipal committee suggested a location at Kalvebod Beach, which at the time was situated where the square Halmtorvet (English: Haymarket) is today.

The market, stretching from Halmtorvet to the gasworks harbour, was bissected by a broad internal road lined with cattle stables, sheep pens and dealers offices on both sides.

From that date forward all trade in pork at Gammeltorv was prohibited, although the so-called Chicken Ladies were still allowed to sell poultry by the Caritas Well.

Entrance to Øksnehallen
Slagtehusgade, former slaughterhouses in the Brown Meat District, now housing various creative venues
Detail of main building, the White Kødby
Copenhagen's new cattle market, 1881
Copenhagen's new cattle market
Knud Gamborg: In a slaughterhouse at Kødbyen
Flæskehallen ("The Pork Hall"), the White Kødby