Karens Minde Aksen

In Copenhagen’s Sydhavn district, an elongated area by Sjælør Boulevard and Karens Minde Cultural Centre has been climate-adapted and transformed into a revitalised urban park. The area is known for its distinctive grassroots spirit, semi-wild nature, and livestock animals, making it a unique gathering point for local communities and meetings across different ages and cultures. The project was developed closely together with local residents through an extensive participatory process.

A brick-paved “riverbed” now meanders as a sculptural and functional landscape element, through which the movement of water forms part of the site’s inherent beauty. This “Brick River,” which can alternate between wet and dry conditions, creates a natural winding course between large old trees, combining public space, pathways, and water conveyance.

The Brick River can handle up to 15,000 m³ of stormwater from the large hinterland. Rainwater is directed into the park, naturally filtered through a trickling meadow, and finally flows into a large, newly established and vibrant rainwater lake with green banks and diverse vegetation.

A unifying circular wooden bridge by Karens Minde Cultural Centre has replaced the multiple crisscrossing paths that previously characterised the somewhat run-downpark.

Most of the existing trees have been preserved, with new ones planted alongside a rich flora of wild herbs that have replaced the former lawns.

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