Kristkirken (Christ Church) in Vesterbro has been a striking part of Copenhagen’s historic cityscape since it was built in 1898–1900. Now C. Møllmann & Co., part of Håndverksgruppen, has helped preserve the church’s heritage through an extensive restoration of its painted decorations and ornamentation.
Over the course of nearly a year, the company has worked on tasks including washing down ceilings, vaults and walls, repainting surfaces, and recreating the distemper-painted decorations and ornamental finishes.
An important part of the restoration work has been to recreate the many details that give Kristkirken its distinctive character.
Among other things, the team worked using an “eraser” technique and recreated more than 2,000 metres of distemper lining. The project also included staining and patination of wooden panels.
The work was carried out by C. Møllmann & Co.’s skilled painters and apprentices Thomas, Shuai, Simone, Steffan, Christian and Leon.
– When you work on a building with so much history, it requires great precision and deep respect for the craftsmanship already in place. We have worked with the utmost care to preserve the church’s original character, says Mads Alfast, master painter at C. Møllmann & Co.
The restoration required specialised painting expertise and great attention to detail. For C. Møllmann & Co., this is exactly the kind of project that shows how traditional painting craftsmanship can help preserve historic buildings for future generations.
– It is always something special to have the opportunity to work on a building like Kristkirken. We are proud of the result our skilled painters and apprentices have achieved, and proud to have helped carry the church’s history forward, says Mads Alfast.
After nearly a year of restoration, Kristkirken is now ready to reopen on Sunday, 30 August 2026, when the Bishop of Copenhagen will lead the service.