Cobe A/S

Karen Blixens Plads Public Square

KAREN BLIXENS PLADS PUBLIC SQUARE

Cobe

Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST

ARCHITECTS
Cobe

FULL SERVICE CONSULTANT
Ekj Consulting Engineers

CONTRACTORS
Ncc Denmark, M. J. Eriksson

MANUFACTURERS
Steffen Sten

PRIVATE DONATION
Grant From The Private Foundation A.p. Møller Og Hustru Chastine Mc-kinney Møllers Fond Til Almene Formaal.

CLIENT
Danish Building And Property Agency

FULL SERVICE CONSULTANT
Ekj Consulting Engineers

ENGINEERS
Cn3, Vind-vind

AREA
21415 m²

YEAR
2019

LOCATION
Copenhagen, Denmark

CATEGORY
Public Space

Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST

Text description provided by architect.

At more than 20,000 m2 Karen Blixens Plads is one of the largest public squares in Copenha- gen.

ituated between the University of Copenhagen and the Danish Royal Library’s buildings at the university’s South Campus, the open and welcoming urban space is an innovative, spectacular and multi-functional architectural design that accommodates and promotes green transportation, climate change adaptation, and biodiversity.

The project was supported by a generous donation from the private foundation A.P Møller Fonden.

Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST
Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST

Innovative bicycle parking. The combined public square and university plaza are designed as a carpet that covers an undulating terrain of small hills and breaks the large space up into smaller zones with room for activities both on and inside the hills (domes).

The three bicycle hills were created as cast concrete shells clad with hand-laid tiles in colors echoing the exteriors of the surrounding university buildings.

Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST
Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST

In addition to serving as an active meeting place for students, employees, and locals, the square also contains a high-capacity bicycle parking space for the many users of the university, including 16,000 students and 2,000 employees.

The innovative and unique design has room for 2,000 bicycles.

Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST
Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST

Interdisciplinary collaboration. In collaboration with CN3, COBE and EKJ’s construction engineers calculated and created 3D projections of the iconic concrete dome constructions. The solution is based on a shell construction as the load-bearing structure.

Aesthetically, the design provides a large airy space underneath the domes. However, while a shell construction does not normally have holes in it, these domes have large openings, which constituted a significant challenge and required additional statistical analyses.

Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST
Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST

Green profile. In a soft transition, Karen Blixens Plads brings together the university’s need for urban spaces with the open landscape of the neighboring Amager Fælled (Amager Commons).

The north side of the square, where the three main entrances to the university are located, is an open and multi-purpose space.

Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST
Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST

To the south, hilly, undulating meadowland connects the campus with the commons. In addition to bringing nature into the campus the landscape also contributes to climate change adaptation by adding a capacity to handle stormwater.

Delaying rainwater in depressions in the landscape utilizes the recreational values of the water and creates small wet biotopes that support biodiversity, enable rainwater evaporation and supplements the canal in case of extreme precipitation, thus contributing to climate change adaptation.

Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST
Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST

The design uses simple, sturdy and durable materials, just as lighting and furnishings are kept to a few, simple elements to ensure a sustainable urban space.

All the selected elements are low-maintenance and contribute to the square’s green profile.

Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST
Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST

Outdoor auditorium. A central feature is an outdoor auditorium with seating for up to 1,000 people on the manmade hills.

The hilltops offer additional standing room for concerts or other large public events.

Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Rasmus Hjortshøj - COAST


Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Floor plan
Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Site plan


Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Diagram
Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Section
Karen Blixens Plads Public Square
Plan diagram

Cobe A/S
T +45 3254 4300
Cobe A/S
Orientkaj 4, 2150 København, Denmark