Location: Denmark
Year: 2012
Superkilen Urban Park is a vibrant, contemporary public space situated in Copenhagen, Denmark. The innovative brainchild of architectural firms BIG, Topotek1, and Superflex spans 30,000 square metres and showcases diverse cultural influences. It is divided into three zones: the Red Square, the Black Market, and the Green Park. Superkilen features unique installations, recreational areas, and green spaces that celebrate multiculturalism and foster social interaction among residents.
Rather than creating the park following conventional public engagement methods focusing on political correctness and existing notions, the architects employed extensive public involvement to guide the park’s design. They connected with residents through online platforms, email, newspapers, and radio broadcasts. The comprehensive public consultation process collected proposals from residents for items representing all sixty nationalities in the park, after which a local governing board chose the items.
The park houses a variety of objects specifically imported or inspired by designs from other countries, such as Iraqi swings, Brazilian benches, a Moroccan fountain, and British trash bins. Additionally, neon signs and manhole covers from around the globe can be found here. Together, these 108 plants and artefacts showcase the ethnic diversity of the local community, which has connections to 62 nations. These items represent the collective ownership of the park shared by its residents.
Image Attribution: “Superkilen, Copenhagen, Denmark” by Emily is licensed under CC BY 2.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Superkilen_hill-top_view.jpg