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Superkilen

2008 - 2012
BJARKE INGELS GROUP, BIG

Copenhague
Dinamarca

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Superkilen is an open, linear urban park (located in the Nørrebro district) designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, Superflex, and Topotek1 in Copenhagen. It was conceived in 2008, construction began in 2010, and it was completed in 2012.

Nørrebro is a troubled district of Copenhagen, with repeated instances of violence and clashes between police and protesters over a long period. But beyond the media attention given to these specific events, the reality is that daily life in Nørrebro is largely shaped by the challenges of coexistence, given the high cultural diversity of its seventy thousand inhabitants, who come from more than sixty countries around the world, including Turkey, Pakistan, Bosnia, Somalia, Albania, and others.

Analyzing the site and the social and identity implications of the project, Bjarke Ingels Group used a variety of street furniture from and inspired by the many countries represented there, giving identity to the public space of this cosmopolitan neighborhood. The idea was to reverse the trend of a marginalized area, seeking a creative intervention that would revitalize the place and attract more people. The space is divided into three zones and brings together street furniture representing nearly 60 countries, reflecting the cultural diversity of Copenhagen's population. Filling the public areas with games, leisure activities, cycling paths, and art, Superkilen is a reflection of this diversity: Brazilian and Belgian benches, Spanish ping-pong tables, a Thai boxing ring, manhole covers, bus stops, and other varied objects are distributed along the park's 750 meters.

The first area, called the Red Square for its striking shades of bright red, orange, and pink, is dedicated to sports. This area is conceived as an extension of Nørrebrohallen, the sports hall located at the park's entrance. The second space, with its concrete floor, is designed as an urban lounge where people can gather around a Moroccan fountain and benches from Brazil and Iran. The Black Market, the heart of Superkilen, is a place for neighborly entertainment with chess tables, barbecues, a large playground, an octopus sculpture, and palm trees from China. Green Park, the third and final area of this public space, stands out for its greenery and family-friendly atmosphere—a breath of fresh air in the city!

This public space is thus transformed into a place where the art of each culture that makes up the new Nørrebro neighborhood can flourish. Ultimately, it is a space that was initially a "non-place," but through the unique intervention, it has become a vibrant, colorful common space that seeks to integrate the diverse cultures of the neighborhood. It is ultimately a space designed with the intention of bringing its inhabitants together, of fostering relationships between people, transcending the passageway-space it previously was.

Sarah DARMON

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