CSS main building

Meget af min hverdag ligger på CSS, det nye samlede city campus for Københavns Universitet. Der er nogle der synes, det var en dårlig ide at rykke de studerende ud af indre by, men personligt holder jeg meget af vores nye hjem. Det er skønt at have en mere samlet “campus” fornemmelse, og så er indre by jo altså heller ikke længere væk. Endelig, så synes jeg de gamle hospitalsbygninger slet og ret er smukke.

Much of my everyday is spent at CSS, the new condenced city campus at the University of Copenhagen. Some think that moving the students out of the very centre of the city was a bad idea, but personally I really like our new home. It is wonderful to have  a feeling of a more “collected” campus, and besides, the centre of Copenhagen is still only 10 min away… on foot. Finally, I think that the old hospital buildings are simply beautiful.

Sunlight and shadow

Bygningerne har set meget. De startede som hospital for 150 år siden (påbegyndt 1859, endelig færdigt 1863), bygget efter voldsomme kolera epidemier havde hærget København. Dengang var byen stadig beskyttet af forsvarsværker, voldene, og hospitalet lå udenfor, hvilket betød at det blev forpligtet til at opføre vandgrav og volde i tilfælde af krig… forpligtelsen forfaldt dog hurtigt.

The buildings have seen much. They started out being a hospital 150 years ago (started 1859, finished 1863), commisioned after devastating colera attacks had plauged Copenhagen. At that time the city was still protected by defenses, the mounds, and the hospital was outside, which meant it was required to dig a moat and build mounds in the case of a war… that requirement soon dropped away.

 Empty bikeholders... will be filled when the semester starts Old and new meet

Hospitalet blev endelig lukket i 1999, hvor Københavns Universitetet tog over og begyndte at bygge om for at skabe City Campus. Nu færdes studerende, hvor kolerapatienterne før lå, og visse dele af campus minder stadig en om, at her har være hospital… meget længe.

The hospital was closed in 1999, where the University of Copenhagen took over and started rebuilding to create the City Campus. Now students roam where the colera patiens lay, and some parts of the campus still remind you that this has been a hospital… for very long.

 The old hospital basement is now cantine...

Som de sidste fra det Samfundvidenskablige Fakultet blev Økonomisk Institut flyttet herud denne sommer. Vi har stadig flytterod og håndværkere på kontorerne, men det nærmer sig semesterstart og tingene falder på plads. Jeg sidder og kigger over tagene og nyder den tid, jeg har tilbage herude. Men heldigvis kan jeg jo komme igen og hilse på bygningerne, selv når jeg ikke længere er studerende…

As the last part of the Faculty of Social Science, the Institute of Economics moved out here this summer. We still have boxes in the hallways and workmen on scaffolding outside our windows, but the start of the semester is nearing and things are moving along. I sit and look over the roof tops and enjoy the time I have left out here. Luckily I know that I can always come back and say hello to the buildings, even when I’m no longer a student…

The red striped byzantine look...