KBP.EU; a joint ventrure of Karres en Brands landscape architects (NL) and Polyform (DK)

In the autumn of 2007, the City Council of Copenhagen invited 12 international design teams to submit plans for the redesign of important public spaces in the city centre. The design ‘Fra Kultorvet til Mælkevejen’ (From Kultorvet to the Milky Way) was selected in a second selection round in April 2008. The plan is now being worked out in detail, and will be implemented in the coming years. The proposal was made in partnership with the Danish Polyform Arkitekter design office, together with Karres en Brands working as KBP.EU. This unique collaboration came into existing during this competition. Other collaborators are Oluf Jørgensen Engineering and Ulrike Brandi Licht from Germany.

The curved course of the Købmagergade shopping street is typical of the city centre of Copenhagen. Together with the Hauser Plads, Kultorvet and Trinitatis Church squares, this long street forms the characteristic image of the labyrinthine medieval city centre.
The district has its own daily and weekly rhythms: people cycle, walk, shop, play and go out in the evenings. But traffic for deliveries, refuse collection and maintenance also joins in this rhythm. Our first step was to clean and empty the area, so that the flow of people can easily find its way. We also selected strong materials such as natural stone: a durable material with a strong and harmonious appearance. The design proposal encourages the development of intensive city life on the one hand, and on the other it is linked with the rich history of Copenhagen.

The layout of the three squares is varied, just as their historical situation and their location in the city are varied. On the Kultorvet the dark – almost black – paving pattern of the stone is inspired by the 18th century coal trade. On the rather more peaceful Hauser Plads square, the exciting grass play mounds form a green oasis in the urban fabric. At night, the Trinitatis Church square with its famous observatory is transformed by artificial lighting into an enormous starry sky. The three squares are diverse in colour, from dark coal to bright stars: ‘From Kultorvet to the Milky Way’.

In the evening and at night the medieval city has its own melancholy and mysterious atmosphere, especially in winter. This unique ambience is emphasised by the use of warm indirect lighting, with a few extra accents on the squares. This means that it is still possible to see the stars, just as Christian the Fourth did from the observatory in Runde Tarn in the 17th century.

Currently the project is under construction. End of 2012 the first phase of the plan will be completed.