At first glance, Den Grønne Genbrugshal - or the Green Recycling Hall in English - in Christiania looks like nothing more than a colourful old warehouse, but behind its green wooden walls lies a piece of living Christiania history. The hall was built in 1847 as a riding hall for the Bådsmandsstræde Barracks. When the Christianites took over the area in the 1970s, they decided at a joint meeting in 1978 that the building should become the free town's building market.
Today, Den Grønne Genbrugshal is a bustling, sustainable building materials market with both new and used items, from recycled wood, windows and doors to hardware, hobby supplies and garden equipment. They describe themselves with a twinkle in their eye as a place where if they don't have it, you don't need it, and that tone is reflected on their website and social media.
For many years, the hall was only for residents of Christiania, but since 2011, everyone has been able to shop here, and the place has become a regular stop for local craftsmen, DIY enthusiasts and curious visitors. The shop is run as a foundation under Christiania's Fælleskasse, and the profits thus remain in the community.
Scrolling through their Instagram, you see palettes of paint, old doors lined up in rows, crazy finds and little everyday scenes from life in the hall. It feels more like a workshop than a traditional DIY store, a place where things get a new lease of life and where Christiania's idea of community and recycling becomes very real among dusty beams and crooked shelves.
