Both the Christiansborg Palace & the Royal Danish Library (Black Diamond) are located on the small island of Slotsholmen, separated from the rest of the old city by narrow canals. This is the historical center of Copenhagen where Bishop Absalon constructed a small castle in 1167.
The Christiansborg Palace was first constructed in 1733. The current palace, constructed in 1907-1928 in Neo-Baroque style, is the third at this site. The first two were destroyed by fire in 1794 and 1884 respectively. The palace houses the Danish Parliament, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Supreme Court, and the formal reception rooms of the monarch.
Located on the harbor waterfront, the Royal Danish Library started as a neo-classical building design by Hans Jørgen Holm in 1906. In 1999, a modern addition designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen was constructed on its south side. Its two black granite cubes connected by a glass atrium earned its nickname “Black Diamond”. The original building also houses the Danish Jewish Museum and the National Museum of Photography.