CASE STUDY

SUPERKILEN URBAN PARK COPENHAGEN BIG

"Celebrating Diversity"

Introduction

Located in the center of Nørrebro, north of the Danish capital, Superkilen is an urban park
that exhibits the cultural diversity of the area with a contemporary language.

The project aimed at increasing the exercise of civic participation.

The neighbors, from around sixty different countries, were asked to suggest objects they
missed from their home countries, and which they thought could enhance the Danish
urban space.
Exercise gear from the California beaches, sewage drains from Israel, palm trees from
China, neon signs from Russia, or the famous bull of Spanish highways; these are just a few
of the urban items that belong to this universal gallery with an area of 30,000 square
meters.

The result is a sort of surrealist garden of global urban diversity, a motley collection of
objects that shows the true colors of Copenhagen today.

The park is divided into three differentiated areas, marked out by colors: the red zone, the
black zone and the green zone, each one of them with different spatial and functional
features.

∆ The red zone is a mosaic of different materials in reddish tones stretches from the
ground, folding up towards the side facades of the buildings, like a carpet. During
weekends this Red Square becomes a local market that attracts visitors from the city center
and outskirts.

∆ The second space, the Black Square, is the heart of Superkilen. Permanent tables,
lTurkish benches or grill areas turn this space into an outdoor living room where neighbors
can gather around the Moroccan fountain, or play chess for instance. The wavy white lines

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on the dark pavement mark the directionality of the square and curve around the elements
that appear along the way.

∆ In the third area, the Green Park, hills and surfaces become places for leisure where
families with kids can enjoy a picnic, lay out in the sun or play badminton. This also
addresses an old request from residents, who asked for more green spaces in the
neighborhood.

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Superkilen is a space conceived by and for the neighbors, who take part in the
decision-making process throughout the design stage.