Superkilen is a half a mile long urban space wedging through one of the most ethnically diverse and socially challenged neighborhoods in Denmark. Superkilen is the result of the creative collaboration between Superflex and Topotek 1 architects, BIG which constitutes a rare fusion of architecture, landscape architecture and art – from early concept to construction stage.
The team was invited by the City of Copenhagen and the Realdania Foundation to participate in the 13.4 million euro project, which is hoped will revitalize the neighborhood while forging a global identity capable of unifying the city’s urban fabric. This project is defined by three color-coded areas, each offering distinctive functions and atmospheres, and stands as a vehicle of integration for the cultures represented by the area, which meant involving the inhabitants within the design process. Ranging from exercise gear from muscle beach LA to sewage drains from Israel, palm trees from China and neon signs from Qatar and Russia. The kilometer-long “Super Park”, which consists of three themed parts–”Red Square”, “Black Market”, and “Green Park”–is dotted with various pop artifacts and cultural mementos “sourced” – in Danish and in the language(s) of its origin.
Photos by Torben Eskerod and Iwan Baan
