West India Warehouse
"Vestindisk Pakhus (Copenhagen)" by Christian Cordova from Santiago, Chile / CC BY 2.0
Quick facts: The West India Warehouse in Copenhagen is a historic building that stored goods from Denmark's colonial territories.
- Built in 1781, it handled colonial trade goods such as sugar and rum.
- Its grand architecture showcases Denmark's global trading history.
- It now houses the Royal Cast Collection of plaster sculptures.
The story behind...
The West India Warehouse, or Vestindisk Pakhus, is a striking waterfront building designed by architect Caspar Frederik Harsdorff and built between 1780 and 1781.
It once served the Danish West India Company, storing colonial goods such as sugar, coffee, and rum shipped from the Danish West Indies — trade built on the forced labor of an estimated 100,000 to 120,000 enslaved Africans transported by Danish ships.
On the eighth floor, “The King's Room” preserves its original wallpaper and period chairs from the trade commission's meetings. Today the warehouse houses the Royal Cast Collection, with more than 2,000 plaster casts of sculptures from around the world, alongside costumes from the Royal Danish Theatre. Just outside stands the sculpture “I Am Queen Mary,” honoring Mary Leticia Thomas, a leader in the fight against Danish colonial rule.
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