Can you imagine a public space that gathers landmarks from more than 60 different countries? Superkilen is an urban park designed with an artistic approach that embraces the cultural diversity of the city of Copenhagen. In collaboration with the local residents, the designers responsible for the project represented several national identities in this park, which became the heart of the neighborhood. The idea was to revitalize the area by creating a public space where everyone could feel at home – no matter from where you are or how far you are from it. This 750-meters-long urban park is located in the district of Nørrebro, north of Copenhagen’s centre, which is one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the city. To create a public space to please everyone in such a mixed context is a great challenge, however, the collaborative work of talented professionals made it possible.
“BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group – SUK – Superkilen Park “. Source, licensed under CC 2.0
The Dream Team The creative minds of the artists from Superflex, architects from Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and landscape architects from Topotek1, came up with this beautiful proposal. Superkilen was an initiative of the City of Copenhagen in a partnership with Realdania, which is a Danish private association that supports philanthropic architecture and urban planning projects. The Design Officially open in June 2012, the park covers a total area of 30.000m2 and offers bike lanes, playgrounds, various sports facilities, spaces for cultural activities, areas for picnics and even barbecue grills. It is divided in three main sections: 1) The Red Square: The Red Square focuses on recreation and modern living. It’s stimulative colours – bright red, orange, pink – encouraging activity and energy. The edges and lines create a beautiful pattern on the floor.
“BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group – SUK – Superkilen Park “. Source, licensed under CC 2.0
2) The Black Market: The Black Market is more of a calming area, a place where people can meet up and interact. There are barbecue grills, tables for playing chess and an intriguing Japanese playground. The white lines on the floor create a cool optical illusion of movement.
“BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group – SUK – Superkilen Park “. Source, licensed under CC 2.0
“Superkilen, Copenhagen, Denmark”. Source, licensed under CC 2.0
3) The Green Park: The Green Park is the place to go for a picnic or take the dog for a walk after work. It has green hills, a big lawn area and sports facilities where children can have fun – a perfect family area. The Global Landmarks As the park is intended to celebrate cultural diversity, it is filled with objects from around the world to represent each nation. Each one was either imported from the home countries or replicas were made based on the originals. When walking down the park, it feels like travelling around the globe as you are confronted by neon signs from the U.S. and Russia, swings from Iraq, Brazilian benches, a Spanish bull sculpture, a fountain from Morocco, a boxing ring from Thailand, English litter bins and even Palestinian soil. All objects have a stainless plate with its identification and description.
“BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group – SUK – Superkilen Park “. Source, licensed under CC 2.0
Outstanding Awards The local residents were also involved in the project, so they could contribute with ideas and memories. In addition, the designers travelled around the world to really get the feeling of each country to be represented in the park. No wonder Superkilen was awarded with 2013 AIA Honor Award in the Regional & Urban Design category by the American Institute of Architects, is shortlisted for Design of the Year by the Design Museum in London and for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture. Below: Superkilen celebrates diversity in Copenhagen The design itself is beautiful but the concept was the key-element in this project. As landscape architects, we have to bear in mind we design for people (and why not with people?). It is necessary to bring the reality of the users into the design process, taking into consideration their aspiration and needs. The sensitivity of the designers is very inspiring here as they could capture that emptiness you feel when you are miles away from home, a very relevant issue in a multicultural neighborhood. Those who have experienced being homesick know how revigorating it is to have a haven where you can just relax and feel back home (even if for just a while). Recommended Reading: Big – Bjarke Ingels Group by Bjarke Ingels Yes Is More: An Archicomic on Architectural Evolution by Bjarke Ingels BIG: Bjarke Ingels Group Projects 2001-2010 by BIG Architecture Article written by Julia Lucchese Featured image: Superkilen hill-top view CC BY 2.0Published in Blog
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