Skovshoved Tankstation

by Arne Jacobsen

This series documents the „Skovshoved Tankstation“ (skovshoved petrol station) nicknamed Paddehatten, the Mushroom, because of its ellipse-shaped canopy roof, by danish architect and designer Arne Jacobsen.

Located on the main road following the coast between Copenhagen and Bellevue, this petrol station dates from 1937. The petrol station itself is a concrete box, clad with Meissen ceramic tiles. The service area is what makes this structure stand out: it is covered by an oval concrete shell, supported by a single column.

 

This design was originally intended as a prototype for Texaco. To save the structure from falling apart, it has been subject to extensive restoration, most notably in 2003 by Dissing + Weitling Architects in cooperation with the Gentofte Municipality. The original ceramic tiles and the concrete canopy have been replaced, after meticulous research and cooperation between the heritage and municipal authorities. To this day, the petrol station remains the only one of its kind, fully intact and virtually unaltered since its erection in 1938. Only the petrol pumps are recent additions.