North Atlantic terroir in the Port of Copenhagen

CURIOUS EYES

Noma’s enormous success attracted many curious visitors, who – without a table reservation – passed by and looked in through the windows in the hope of catching a glimpse of the innovative gastronomy. This was a real problem for the restaurant because hundreds of window peepers were disturbing the visiting guests in the restaurant as well as the kitchen staff.

A LANDSCAPE BUFFER ZONE

The intention of the project was to create a buffer zone – rather than exclude the many curious visitors. With the new Nordic landscape, the eager gastronomic window-gazers were kept at a distance, but with an experience of the new Nordic terroir in the form of a robust, evergreen landscape from the North Atlantic countries.

A NATURAL CONTRAST

The Nordic gardens were cut directly out of the raw concrete surfaces of the harbour which surrounds Noma. This created a clear contrast between the urban and North Atlantic terroir at the same time as it complimented the newly renovated warehouse from the 18th century.

A NORTH ATLANTIC MECCA

The design of the landscape was based on the Nordic terroir, just as Noma’s gastronomic universe processes Nordic cuisine. The robust and evergreen plants from Denmark, Sweden, the Faroe Islands and Norway combined with the lava rock from Iceland reflected the North Atlantic coastal landscapes.

A FOOD PANTRY FOR BEES

In addition to nature reflecting the North Atlantic coastal landscapes, the landscape also worked as a food pantry with integrated beehives. The bees could collect nectar from the surrounding new Nordic landscape.

Website: WERK

Other designers involved in the design: Lemming og Eriksson

Design year: 2013

Year Built: 2013

Photographer: © wichmann+bendtsen photography