Larsens Plads
Larsens Plads is a waterfront in Copenhagen, Denmark, which runs along the Zealand side of the Inner Harbour from the Nyhavn canal in the south to the Nordre Toldbod area just south of Langelinie to the north. The name refers to a shipyard which used to occupy the grounds but is now more associated with emigration to America after it became a major hub for trans-Atlantic traffic later in the century. Today, the area is dominated by Amalienborg Palace with the Amalie Garden and a number of late 18th-century warehouses which have been converted to other uses. The buildings facing the waterfront have their address on the parallel street Toldbodgade.
History
Warehouses and ship building
The waterfront was created by extensive land fills which led to the establishment of Ny Toldbodgade in 1719 and expanded the port northwards. The new quay was used for storage of timber that arrived to the city by ship.When Frederiksstaden was founded and the area along the waterfront came under redevelopment as an elegant new residential district, it was decided to relocate the timberyards from the area due to the risk of fires. They found a temporary home at Greenland, a greenspace next to Nyboder, and were later moved to a filled site south of Lange Bridge, at present day Tietgensgade. However, in spite of the wealthy new neighbours, the waterfront remained in use for port activities,
In 1802, the site was acquired by a wealthy shipowner, Lars Larsen, who established a shipyard in the grounds which became known simply as Larsen's Place after its founder.
In 1844, when Larsen died, Larsens Plads was acquired by Jacob Holm, the owner of the largest shipping company in Denmark at the time as well as a shipyard on Christianshavn. He used Larsens Plads for repairing ships.