I was pleased to see the issue of Topos 65, which featured one of the recent DailyLand projects, the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain as well as a veg.itectural gem at the Queens Botanical Garden Visitor’s Center. There are a few choice projects to look for soon as well. For this installment, another waterfront project that I had in the queue was this proposal for the Copenhagen Waterfront by JDS: “…in collaboration with Klar, will redesign the harbour front Kalvebod Brygge as the result of a tender held by the City of Copenhagen, within the newly established ‘Metropolzone’” (via Arch Daily)
The ‘borrowing’ of the water for habitable space is a great way to extend the edge perimeter fo the waterfront, as well as allowing for people to penetrate and interact with the water. Look at this in the image above in relation to the more traditional waterfront edge on the other side of the bank. Some greenery on this proposal would be nice though as it’s looking a bit bare…
:: image via Arch Daily
And additional plan graphic from ArchiCentral
:: image via ArchiCentral
I have visited this space and I think this would be a great addition to both the buildings and the plaza space. Currently this area is too hard and edgy….it needs some softening. The buildings are lovely designs especially the NyKredit Building.
In general, I think Copenhagen is a great place and has a great view on planning and sustainable ways of life but from a Landscape Architect’s point of view the majority of Copenhagen’s spaces (around buildings) were designed by an Architect. I don’t mean to offend any Architects but these spaces are all hardscape, lack greenery and it seems that everything is about the building. The plaza spaces outside of these buildings have no rhyme or reason. Nothing relates to the building and the buildings don’t have any relation to the site. They are nice modern buildings but they are missing the human elements that make a space inviting and give you a reason to stay and relax… site furnishings, decorative planters, landscape….
I love Copenhagen but I think they need to engage a landscape architect to help them design there open spaces.