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By James Brooks

The Associated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark 鈥� Five months after a devastating fire destroyed more than half of Copenhagen鈥檚 Old Stock Exchange, workers are preparing to begin the reconstruction of the 400-year-old building to return it to its former glory.

On Thursday, King Frederik X of Denmark laid a 鈥渇oundation stone鈥� within part of a red brick wall that survived the mid-April blaze, commencing a yearslong reconstruction plan.

鈥淲e will do this as fast as possible to have Boersen ready for the Copenhageners, for the Danes, for the world again,鈥� said Lars Daugaard Jepsen, head of reconstruction at Denmark鈥檚 Chamber of Commerce, which owns the building. He used the Danish name for the stock exchange building.

On Friday, there was an open day event during which visitors were able to see firsthand what is left of the downtown exchange. Construction started in 1615, and the building opened in 1624. It is considered a leading example of Dutch Renaissance style in Denmark.

In the聽early morning on April 16, a violent fire tore through the major tourist attraction. The blaze toppled the building鈥檚 green copper roof and iconic dragon-tail spire. Two days later, a large section of the outer wall collapsed inward.

As the fire raged, many people, including passersby,聽ventured in to rescue artworks. Around 90 percent of the cultural objects were rescued from the fire.

Authorities have yet to reveal the cause of the fire, but it鈥檚 believed to have started on the building鈥檚 roof, which had been wrapped in scaffolding because of an ongoing renovation to be completed for its anniversary in 2024.

Instead of a renovated building, it鈥檚 now a ruin.

But there are detailed records of its design.

鈥淲e have a lot of pictures,鈥� Daugaard Jepsen told The Associated Press during a recent site tour. 鈥淲e have a lot of papers. We have a lot of knowledge about this building. That鈥檚 also why we are very optimistic of rebuilding this place.鈥�

He said they want to use the same materials that were available when the building was constructed 400 years ago.

Before the fire, the Chamber of Commerce had ordered 80,000 bricks 鈥� handmade in Germany and burnt in coal-fired ovens 鈥� for the renovation. That order has now increased to 800,000.

The wood used in the 17th century came from a Swedish island in the Baltic Sea and was already 160 years old when brought to Denmark, Daugaard Jepsen said.

鈥淲e are looking for about 800 to 1,000 trees on Gotland, because we will use the same materials,鈥� he said.

Workers have cleared more than 1,000 tons of debris left by the fire, which was reminiscent of the April 2019 blaze at the 800-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral聽in Paris.

But the new construction won鈥檛 be exactly as before, Daugaard Jepsen said, adding that the interior has changed eight times during its history and will take on a new appearance again.

鈥淥ur task is to look forward,鈥� he said. The aim is 鈥渢o make a building that will stand for at least 400 years.鈥�

The cost of the reconstruction and an expected completion date have yet to be revealed. But Daugaard Jepsen said the five years it took to rebuild Notre Dame is a 鈥渧ery good guess.鈥�

鈥淲e will do it as fast as we can,鈥� he said with a smile.

Editor鈥檚 note: AP journalist Jan M. Olsen contributed to this report.