Christiania attracts a lot of tourists because of its free-spirit culture and open sale of drug, but if you venture further into the area you will find some great experimental architecture, mainly developed under the idea of ‘architecture without architects’. Ordinary building restrictions did not seem to be a consideration in Christiania, and in the area you find futuristic spaceships, sustainable buildings, buildings made out of what material was available during the process, or buildings made from architecture students volunteering to try our new ideas. Now the government try to control the development with impending rules and regulations - such as the new law that nothing new can be built except roofing. The inhabitants solution is to make houses entirely out of roofing…  In the area around Christiania you find some beautiful house boats for inspiration, some small and some matching the size of an ordinary house. Here you can see converted ferries, a three storey boathouse and some that looks like shipping containers. I love exploring this whole area, as it feels like I find new, hidden gems every time I visit, at the same time as being a nice relaxing weekend stroll.
Address
Architecture in Christiania and the houseboats nearby, Sydområdet 22, 1. sal., Copenhagen, Denmark
Current city: London
Other cities: TrondheimCopenhagen
Johanne Lian Olsen is a Graphic Designer working within type design, editorial design and illustration. She is flexing between working at projects in the UK and Norway.
 

More Places in Copenhagen 69

Sometimes it is great to look at surreal looking things to set the imagination going. This is an slightly old-school museum with traditional ways of presenting the wast collection, but I personally like that. This museum is a part of the Natural History Museum of Denmark, and has a permanent exhibition ‘From pole to pole' which show animals from around the world. The collection manifests that there is so much to know about the world and who we share it with, and it really sets your mind working. Get inspired by geometric patterns on seashells, colours of birds or scales of reptilians. The museum has many important remains of recently extinct birds in storage, including the eyes and internal organs of the last two great auks, several specimens of the pied raven, and one of only two known complete skulls of the dods that were taken to Europe in the 17th century.
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Especially lovely in the autumn, Frederiksberg Have is a really grand park in the middle of the district— Freckled with ponds, streams, and an old palace atop a hill in its centre.
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The Botanical Garden is a truly unique place in Copenhagen, A place You can visit all year. the outdoor area is perfect for a hideaway from the city center. The Greenhouse it's absolutely stunning (entry fee)  Photo: © Ture Andersen
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Favourite place for a cappucino and a croissant. The best pastry in the whole city all year. In the summer the ice cream is just... nothing better!
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La Banchina (The Pier) is my favourite cafe in Copenhagen, located beautiful on Refshaeløen, facing Copenhagen harbour, this place offer great coffee, homemade baked goods . For lunch and dinner La Banchina offers season’s best organic and/or biodynamic vegetables and seafood. (small dishes) No meat served. excellent natural wine.    Photo: © Ture Andersen
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