A boring grass area mainly used for dog-walking has been transformed into a local park with room for social gatherings, tranquillity and rainwater.

On Scandiagade, 1:1 Landskab has designed a landscape that can handle heavy volumes of rainwater and function as a recreational park for the residents. A central reserve with beautiful old trees was transformed into an innovative urban space with eight basins that can hold 1,500 m3 rainwater. The basins delay rainwater, ensuring that the sewers do not overflow. When it is dry, they provide space for a host of activities.

An unnoticed spot of grass, mostly used for dog-walking has become a local park with a clear identity. Traversing the basins is an attractive wooden walkway with neon yellow sides gives the park a clear identity. The entrances to the urban space are marked with welcoming coloured lamps. Along the way, a small space with a large bench allows you to watch the sun go down, while another space provides room for a spontaneous rendezvous or tango on a light summer’s evening. Scandiagade has become a meeting place for locals, and a must-see for visitors from others neighbourhoods.

Scandiagade is all about the locals and neighbours

Public meetings in various forms have played a crucial role in the development and anchoring of the project. Locals from the neighbourhood have diligently involved themselves in the project and come up with ideas and wishes for functions and activities. Their local knowledge was crucial to the project and they became sparring partners for us. Their inputs and comments helped create a design that is relevant to the residents and future users of Scandiagade. As important as it is to involve the locals in the process, as important is it to surprise them. Take their request and transform them – so the end product also holds architectural viability.

Nature is a crucial part of this urban space

The residents say has resulted in eight very different basins: a mini adventure playground, a butterfly garden, a beach basin with hammocks, a basin with kitchen gardens, where you can taste different herbs. You can take your shoes off in the tall grass in the hilly landscape. One basin has a stone garden, another is inspired by Sydhavnen’s famous Tippen area and lastly a fenced experimental garden, where nature is totally left to its own devices. This garden will provide knowledge about how nature behaves inside the city if not controlled and watered with uncleansed road water.

We have gone all out to create an urban space with a high degree of biodiversity: eg. Uncleaned soil has been brought in from a nature reserve from another municipality. Along with 126 different plants, we hope the soil will create favourable conditions for insects and butterflies and a more balanced urban nature.

The use has increased by 520%. The number of pedestrians has increased by 133% since the opening of the park.

Data

Landscape Architecture: 1:1 Landskab

Built: 2019
Client: Områdefornyelse Sydhavnen (Urban renewal initiative Sydhavnen) Copenhagen Municipality
Location: Scandiagade, Sydhavnen, Copenhagen

Team:  Atkins A/S, engineer, sub-consultant
Nueva, sub-consultant