The story
Founded by C.L. David in 1948.1
In 1917, David re-acquired the building that had once belonged to his grandfather. He took up residence in it but also made his collection available to the public on the upper floors of the building.
On 12 December 1945, the collection, along with the building which houses it, became the independent institution the C. L. David Foundation and Collection, and the museum opened in 1948. Over the years, the exhibition space was continuously expanded and rebuilt as the collections grew. In 1960, on the death of its founder, the foundation became the sole heir to his fortune.
In 1986, the foundation acquired the adjacent property, 32 Kronprinsessegade, where the architect Vilhelm Wohlert, also known for the design of Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, designed a whole new gallery for the expanding collection of Islamic miniatures in 1990.
Further rebuildings have gradually included more rooms and improved facilities. In 2006 the museum was temporarily closed to the public when it embarked on a major refurbishment and rearrangement of the collections. It reopened on 15 May 2009.
The architect Carl Petersen was responsible for the first rebuilding of the top floor, where the roof was given a steeper pitch so as to create adequate space for two large, skylighted rooms. This rebuilding was completed around 1920.
Part of the top floor was made into three rooms, finished in neo-classical style with partly coffered ceilings, tall panels, and patterned parquet floors. Two of the rooms also had skylights since these rooms were used as galleries. The woodwork still attracts much attention. The wood comes from the King Christian VI's dock, which was broken up in 1918. The darker or lighter colour of the oak depends on the time it has spent in the water.
In 1928, the architect Kaare Klint designed two exhibition rooms for the growing collection of porcelain. The walls are covered with Douglas fir and the exhibition cases were manufactured in Rudolf Rasmussen's workshop. The rooms and the exhibition cases are still in use, but now exclusively for the Islamic collection.
The most recent rebuilding of the museum, lasting until 15 May 2009, was undertaken by Wohlert Arkitekter.
From Wikipedia’s article on The David Collection, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5