Large grant from the A.P. Møller Foundation boosts the renovation of ALICE

August 11, 2023

Not only does the future look brighter for ALICE’s physical spaces – a veritable sunrise casts rays over the former gymnasium on Nørre Allé. Thanks to a substantial grant of 3 million Danish kroner from the A.P. Møller and Wife Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation for General Purposes, a comprehensive interior modernization of the venue has begun.

Audiences will step into an inviting, architect-designed venue when the regional performance space ALICE once again opens its doors on Nørre Allé in February 2024. The support from the A.P. Møller Foundation ensures an interior transformation of the future ALICE, designed by the award-winning architectural firm JJW Architects.

In 2021, ALICE faced challenges with ventilation that made it detrimental to hold concerts in the hall due to health concerns, leading to its closure. Copenhagen Municipality has already allocated a grant of 7.4 million Danish kroner for exterior renovation and ventilation improvements, among other things.

Interior Transformation
In the new ALICE, one will not only be able to breathe freely but also do so in a much more inviting space. With the grant from the A.P. Møller Foundation, the venue will encourage the audience to converse, hang out, or digest impressions before and after concerts. This is something that has been sorely lacking at ALICE thus far. Among other features, a new bar and lounge area will be constructed, providing more flexible and multifaceted audience experiences.

Through the renovation, ALICE is transitioning from being an adapted gymnasium to a complete reimagining from the inside out. The regional performance space will offer cohesive experiences for both the audience and artists – both in terms of sound and aesthetics.

Venue Manager H.C. Gimbel states:

“The interim and worn areas around the bar, wardrobe, backstage, and toilets might have had their own authentic charm at some point, but the time has come to offer our audience a thoroughly delightful experience. This becomes possible thanks to the assistance of the A.P. Møller Foundation, which adds to Copenhagen Municipality’s ventilation renovation. Finally, one can both breathe and enjoy concert experiences in aesthetic surroundings that are fully on par with the artistic experiences in the house.”

Million-Dollar Grants
The historic building possesses qualities that reflect the diversity of the neighborhood, and this characteristic is fully preserved. With the renovation of the roof structure, settling damage in the side building, windows, doors, ventilation systems, and the interior refurbishment, the performance space is brought fully into the future.

Thus, optimal conditions are secured for the venue, allowing ALICE to move ‘back home’ and serve as a driving force for artistic development and support of the vibrant musical communities.

“With the donation from the A.P. Møller Foundation and the municipality’s grant, there is a prospect that the ALICE venue can already open its doors to some very special, intimate concert experiences at the beginning of next year. ALICE has something on the musical menu for every taste and for those seeking to expand their musical horizons, and I am pleased that the venue is now getting optimal conditions,” says Mia Nyegaard, Cultural and Leisure Mayor of Copenhagen (RV).

The new ALICE is set to open in February 2024. The concert program will be updated regularly on the ALICE website.