Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark, prides itself on weaving its rich architectural and nautical history with its goal to be a world-leading destination for sustainable solutions. Much has been attempted and put into practice by leading architects, to question pressing matters of the day, such as Urban Heat Island Effect, Green Mobility, and Cohesive and Inclusive Public Spaces. The Danes have time and again proved their genius in their urban fabric, and in turn, their daily lives. There are 15 amazing places to visit in Copenhagen for the travelling architects.
According to the World’s Happiness Report 2019, Denmark closely follows Finland to be the happiest country in the world, and the following architectural and urban masterpieces in its capital, Copenhagen can alone justify why:
1. Superkilen Park | Visit in Copenhagen
To reflect the ethnically-diverse and socially-challenged neighborhood of Nørrebro, Superkilen was perceived to be a kilometer-long public space that weaves through the bohemian community through its three color-coded zones-red, black and green. Red, with its characteristic red, orange and magenta foreground, acts as an extension to the adjacent sports hall with its eclectic urban infrastructure to engage the community; Black, ‘an urban living room’, strongly distinguished by white lines snaking through the asphalt flooring, animated by a Moroccan fountain, a bulbous play-area and neon signposts; and Green, a park scape backdrop to present more than 100 objects from about 60 nationalities, curated in close collaboration with the locals. Much like the built fabric, the landscape comprises of Japanese cherry blossoms, Chinese palms and Lebanese cedar trees, to establish the diversity that the project aims to enunciate and build on. A surreal bubble of cultural explosion nominated for the 2013 Mies Van Der Rohe Award, Superkilen is testimony to demonstrate how urban design can promote cultural tolerance and public participation.
Designed by BIG, with landscape architects Topotek1 in collaboration with artist collective Superflex.
2. Cirkelbroen (The Circle Bridge)
Cirkelbroen, easily distinguished with its tall posts, rising over its five circular platforms like masts in a ship, is designed as an artifact, reflective of Copenhagen’s nautical history and its celebrated waterfront life. It was opened in 2015 to connect Central Copenhagen areas, Christiansborg and Applebys Plads. Treading a step ahead of its obvious function as a bridge, Cirkelbroen is envisioned as a meeting space and aims to encourage bicyclists and pedestrians to slow down and take a break, to reflect on the transient scenery that surrounds the bridge.
Designed by Olafur Eliasson.
3. Copenhill | Visit in Copenhagen
Copenhill may look like a surreal-futuristic endeavor in a post-apocalyptic world, but it is an open-to-public, recreational-waste-management center that is up and running in Copenhagen, all in its aluminum-studded façade, that swirls down from the top in a green-paved expanse. To say that it is sustainable, would be an understatement- With the capacity to convert 440,000 tons of the city’s waste into clean energy every year, it delivers electricity and district heating to about 150,000 homes. Coupled with that, designed as a social mountain, it engages the community with its accessible-roof which acts as a ski slope in winters, and as a hiking and climbing area with cross-fit zones and an education hub in summers. With its hedonistic undertones, this architectural gemstone aims to bridge the gaps in the relationship between architecture, environmental impact and the people and takes a giant leap towards the City’s goal to become the world’s first carbon-neutral city by 2025.
Designed by BIG, AKT, Topotek 1, Man Made Land, and Realities: United, with landscape architects SLA.
4. Royal Danish Opera House
Adorning the city’s inner harbor, the Royal Danish Opera House seemed like a pearl in an oyster when it opened in 2004. It is a structural serenade of its function, hosting diverse programs of live music, dance and operas throughout the year. A recipient of the 2008 IABSE Outstanding Structure Award, it is known for its bejeweled façade with floating eaves that measure the length of three football fields and the canals excavated along its sides.
Designed by Henning Larsen.
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Interiors of The Royal Danish Opera; Source: Archdaily
5. National Aquarium Denmark (Den Blå Planet) | Visit in Copenhagen
National Aquarium Denmark is a World-class public aquarium located in Kastrup and is the largest in Europe. Surrounded by water, the building is an interpretation of a whirlpool with its curved arms, cladded in aluminum shingles to resemble fish scales. The entrance of this building leads into an underground central foyer crowned by a water-bodied atrium, attempting to heighten the experience of underwater life. An interesting take towards crowd management was to have no fixed direction of movement from the central foyer so that there would be minimal queueing for the popular aquariums. Its highly sculptural form and program, therefore, aptly matches in meditative and reflective synchronicity to the experience it unfolds as one goes around this architectural marvel.
Designed by 3XN Architects.
6. 8Tallet (8 House)
Following the environmental optimization and programmatic flexibility of the VM Houses, 8Tallet is designed as a mixed-use development in the south of Ørestad, accommodating three residential typologies with retail and office spaces, by stacking the zones horizontally and connecting them through a continuous promenade. What strikes the eye is the addition of a cycle track up to the 10th floor, folding the otherwise planar neighborhood within its volumetric knot. A proud recipient of the AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture in 2012, this project is not a far-throw from an existing formula, to ensure a successful mixed-use development; It, however, seeks to question and experiment with its duo-dimensionality.
Designed by BIG Architects.
7. The Black Diamond
The Black Diamond was designed as an extension to The Royal Library and lies adjacent to the old library cathedral of Hans J. Holm of 1906. It gets its name from its blunt cut edges and black-marbled facade that glistens under the sun-lit sky and reflects the water of the harbor. The glassed incision through the central atrium allows its views of the harbor and additionally attempts to juxtapose the old library behind into its extended counterpart. Besides holding one of the largest libraries in Scandinavia, it also plays host to several cultural activities and has since been an impressive addition to the waterfront promenade of Copenhagen.
Designed by Schmidt, Hammer and Lassen.
8. Kastrup Sea Bath | Visit in Copenhagen
Located on the east coast of Amager in Copenhagen, this swimming facility was nominated for the Mies Van Der Rohe award in 2007 for its contemporary rendition of a Scandinavian Sea Bath. Affectionately referred to as ‘The Snail’, the circular built mass rises in its mighty Azobe wood, far from the shore, gently folding into itself with a wooden-pier carpet to entice you in. Such a sculptural dynamism was brought to provide this open-to-all facility security and protection from the harsh Øresund winds. Its orientation towards the South coupled with its concentric interiors, warm the center, promising a wholesome swimming experience. Additionally, the ramped-decks and spotlighting, ensure that the public center is accessible to all.
Designed by White Arkitekter.
9. Forest Tower
An outlandish-helical tower rising above the dense treetops of the Gisselfeld Klosters Forest at a height of 45 meters, The Forest Tower is part of Denmark’s largest climbing park, Camp Adventure, which is located an hour south of Copenhagen. It had garnered awards and recognition much before it was opened to the public, due to its seamless intervention into the Danish forests, adopting an hourglass profile to accommodate canopies of the adjoining vegetation and a spiral board-ramp for inclusivity. With the platform at the top situated at 135 m above sea level, the tower offers panoramic views of the South Zealand landscape, and on clear days, even the Oresund Bridge which connects Copenhagen to Malmo.
Designed by EFFEKT.
10. Nyhavn | Visit in Copenhagen
Nyhavn is a 17th-century waterfront, canal and entertainment district in Copenhagen, and one of the most famous streets in the city. It is lined with brightly-colored townhouses, characteristics of the 17th and early 18th-century architectural styles, many of which are now turned into bars, cafes and restaurants. Designed by King Christian V, it has come to be recognized as a remarkable token of Danish history and an urban landmark for tourists and locals alike. It is especially interesting to see how these socio-recreational strip changes shades throughout the days and seasons.
11. Rundetaarn (The Round Tower)
Rundetaarn is the oldest functioning observatory in Europe and was commissioned by Christian IV in the mid-17th century to continue the work of the late Danish astronomer, Tycho Brahe, one of the finest of his time. As is implied by its name, it is a tall, cylindrical tower with a winding ramp-way to the top, functioning as a church, library, and an observatory. The observatory is encircled by an outdoor platform that offers picturesque views of the old city. A glass floor allows the visitor to access the central core of the tower, which is known to be at the exact geographical center of the city of Copenhagen.
12. Christiansborg Palace and Børsen
Christiansborg Palace houses the Danish Parliament, the office of the Prime Minister and the Danish Supreme Court, making it one of the most important buildings in Denmark. Opened in 1928, this Baroque Revival Palace features a library, a throne room, a tapestry collection, and a remarkable kitchen.
Alongside Christiansborg stands The Old Stock Exchange, known as Børsen, which dates back to 1628 and is, therefore, one of the oldest buildings still standing in Copenhagen. Exemplary of Dutch Renaissance Architecture, it features 17th-century garrets and moldings. Its distinctive, dragon-tailed spire is said to protect the building from enemy attacks and fires. Børsen, on many accounts, has been spared when fires broke out in adjacent buildings, including the most recent one in 1990.
13. Frederik’s Church | Visit in Copenhagen
Frederiks Kirke, also known as The Marble Church, is one of the most visited churches in Copenhagen, owing to its rich history, impressive architecture and proximity to Amalienborg. Its characteristic copper-green dome is the largest in Scandinavia and is the rococo counterpart of the Copenhagen skyline. Though the foundation stone was laid in 1749, the construction of this Church took more than a century, and was finally opened in 1894.
14. Amalienborg Castle
Amalienborg is the winter residence of the Royal Family of Denmark, hosting four palaces of identical Classical facades surrounding an octagonal courtyard. At the center of the courtyard, stands the statue of the founder of Amalienborg. With Rococo interiors, the exhibition and museum spaces within the Palaces offer insights into the royal life and the monarchy in the 21st century. The Amalienborg falls in the center of the line of vision between The Marble Church and The Royal Opera House.
15. Oresund Bridge | Visit in Copenhagen
The Oresund Bridge is an engineering spectacle so daring in its attempt, that it runs nearly 8km as a cable-stayed bridge to an artificial island before it transitions into the tunnel that runs the remaining 4km between the Danish capital of Copenhagen to the Swedish city of Malmö. It is a double-track railway and motorway, engaging the countries in cross-travel since 2001. Though it is largely an engineering feat, it is interesting to note that the project was led by a team of civil engineers and architects, proving the possibilities of breakthroughs in multi-disciplinary approaches to design.
