Institute for the Blind, Copenhagen
| Institute for the Blind | |
|---|---|
| Blindeinstituttet | |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Historicism |
| Location | Copenhagen |
| Country | Denmark |
| Coordinates | 55°41′45.7″N 12°35′15.6″E / 55.696028°N 12.587667°ECoordinates: 55°41′45.7″N 12°35′15.6″E / 55.696028°N 12.587667°E |
| Completed | 1858 |
| Owner | Copenhagen Municipality |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Ferdinand Meldahl |
The (Royal) Institute for the Blind (Danish: Blindeinstituttet) is a listed, Historicist building on Kastelsvej in the Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. Built in built in two stages in 1858 and 1880 to a design by Ferdinand Meldahl, it was the first special school for blind students in Denmark and was listed in 1977. The institution relocated to new premises in Hellerup in the 1960s and is now known as the Danish Institute for the Blind and Partially Sighted . The Østerbro building is now home to Copenhagen Municipality's Children's Centre.
The first Institute for the Blind was established by the Order of the Chain (Danish: Kjædeordenen)) on 10 June 1811 on Kastelsvej in Østerbro in 1867-58: Known as the Royal Institute for the Blind, it was ceded to the Danish State when it was completed. The building was one of the first civilian brick buildings to be constructed outside Copenhagen's old East Rampart when the city's fortifications were decommissioned in the 1850s. It was built next to the Institute for the Deaf which had already been completed on the glacis in front of Kastellet in 1838. The Institute for the Deaf had been built as an arrowhead-shaped revelin which could easily be converted into a defensive structure in the event of a hostile attack.Ferdinand Meldahl was charged with the design of the building. Construction began in 1957 and was completed in 1858. The three-winged complex had room for 60 students, 30 boys and 30 girls, each housed in their lateral wing. The main wing contained various workshops and activity rooms. The institution opened in 1858 with 25 students and with J. Moldenhawer as its first principal.
The building was expanded with a new rear wing in 1880. Rooms for 40 new students were created in the main wing while most of the workshops and activity rooms were moved to the new wing.
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