Striving towards Excellence

-Karthik Gurumurthy

Disvoveries have been made in the Round Tower. Institutions have started here. Important historical figures have come here. And people from all walks of life have passed each other in search of Copenhagen's most charming  view 34.8 metres above the street. The whole world is passing through the Round Tower and has done so since 1642, when the tower was finished. For centuries , the views of the city's roofs and sights from the top of the Round Tower have been Copenhagen's major attractions.

With its distinctive Spiral Ramp, the Round Tower is one of Denmark's best-known and most visited structures. It was built as a platform  for the university observatory and for centuries it was the centre of Danish Astronomy.  The foundation stone was laid on July 7, 1637 (344 years later MS, Dhoni was born which is a different story altogether). Five years later the Round Tower was finished as the first part of the Trinity complex, which was designed to accommodate three things : the observatory at the top of the tower, the University library above the Trinity church and the church itself  below.

The Round Tower is built by King Christian IV, who constructed its round walls in the royal colors yellow and red. The king himself also sketched the famous golden rebus on the front of the tower: Lead , God, the right teachings and justice into the heart of King Christian IV.

Halfway up the tower you will find the library Hall since its reopening in 1987. The platform on top of the tower has a great 360 degree city view  centred by the Observatory, which is still used in the winter months and thus the oldest functioning observatory in Europe.

The Spiral ramp twists 7 1/2 times around the tower's hollow core and is the only way to the top. It is inspired by both German Renaissance castles and ancient structures and is unique in a Danish context. 

The Round Tower planetarium shows the solar system with the sun in the centre. The observatory telescope dates from 1929 when the current observatory building was opened