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

My favourite place to hang out in this city (and a hidden gem)! The simple café and restaurant in Copenhagen’s rustic Refshaleøen is all about 'hygge'. La Banchina boasts one of the city’s best spots for sunbathing and jumping in the water from early spring to late autumn. And during winter, the wood-fired sauna gets you all set after a cold dip in the harbour.
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Swimming pool from the 30's. Decorated with mosaic murals by Vilhelm Lundstrøm
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Assistens Cemetery is one of the only cemeteries in the center of Copenhagen and beside from being a beautiful calm place to hang out, sunbathing and having a picnic, it is the final resting place for many great people through times. H.C Andersen, Søren Kirkegaard, Niels Bohr, Henry Heerup is just a few of them.
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Placed in the city center. A place to stroll around in, watch tourists, plants, trees, birds and garden workers.
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