COPENHAGEN TRIP – Day 4
22nd November 2013
We started Day 4 with a presentation by Dan Mogenson, head of the Urban Planning Department for Copenhagen City Council. He introduced the approach that the planning department is taking to the future development of Copenhagen including their holistic approach to renewable energy (wind turbines, district heating, waste incineration, etc.), cycling infrastructure (up to 50% people commute by cycle in Copenhagen in Summer, 30% in Winter), sustainable built environment, etc. Many thanks to Dan for an excellent and inspiring introduction to the development of the city – a real example from which not only the students but the whole of the UK could learn.
Dan Mogenson presenting to the students.
At the end of the road on which the council offices are situated is the Islands Brygge park which we visited after Dan’s presentation.
It is designed using the remnants of the old industrial structures that were on the site previously and act as historic markers around which the park has been developed.
These include some of the old goods wagons (colonised by Rachel and Jess recreating a scene from Titanic).
Another view of Islands Brygge – left over timber structures reused as light fittings.
Groups of Hawthorn and grids of benches form a counterpoint to the old industrial fabric.
The main use for the park is as a bathing area – though in October it was a bit too cold and no one was in the water. Luckily the council provides mobile Saunas you can use instead.
Crossing over the bridge to the northern side of the harbour we visited the Kalvebod Bølge, an extension of the waterfront at Kalvebod Brygge, an “undulating promenade rising to varying levels and jutting into the harbour will provide space for a range of water activities.”
“The shape draws the promenade out into the sun, thereby ensuring that Kalvebod Brygge, which otherwise remains in the shade from noon onwards, benefits from the maximum possible hours of sunshine. Along the promenade there is a number of small recreational zones and pools for different purposes as well as a jetty for kayaks.”
The undulating structures create a sense of play along an otherwise quite uninviting edge to the harbour.
They include various structures and forms encouraging people to play, exercise, jump around and generally have a good time.
Just behind Kalvebod Brygge is the wonderful landscape City Dune by SLA, forming the ground plane and setting for a new office development. The use of cast in-situ white concrete forms a facetted ground plane leading people through a ‘swedish forest landscape’, now intensively colonised by sketers.
The leaves of the maple trees leave prints on the white concrete, a beautiful trace of the season.
The landscape leads up 2-3 storeys from the surrounding roads to a raised walk through another office development. It is the opposite of the typical office development (an object building in an open space) as it is formed by a series of office towers scattered around a focal public space, with the ground levels of the landscape feeding into the buildings and forming a contoured floor for the buildings.
From City Dune we then took the train to the North of Copenhagen to see the new Superkilen Park – an exciting development by a group called Superflex including artists, landscape architects and architects. It is split into 3 areas – a red area, a black area and a green area.
The black area is tarmac with white stripes on it, both fun and oddly bleak at the same time.
The park as a whole was filled with interesting objects, all of which were chosen by members of the local community. The community draw from over 100 different countries and everyone was asked to choose something from their own culture – from benches and bollards, to boxing rings and neon signs…
… for example a bench from Portugal and…
…each object has a small ID plate describing it in both Danish and the language of its country of origin.
Danny testing the rings in the ‘green’park section.
Rachel and Jess testing the Australien Hammock.
Overall this was an original and innovative park in a relatively poor area of town that had involved a huge number of people from the local community in its detailing and design. It has its own app that tells you all about the history of the various object and was very well used when we visited – even mid afternoon on a weekday. An interesting approach to landscape architecture and a great way to finish the day.