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.
An area in Copenhagen that has gotten quite a lot of attention because of its experimental public space and planning is Superkilen, a park in the north west of the city centre. Designed in a collaboration between the arts group Supeflex, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Topotek1, this park feature an eclectic mix of features, such as a fountain from Morocco, sculptures from Japan and large scale Russian signs. The area this park is located in, Nørrebro, is quite diverse, and the designers set out to reflect this by treating the park as ‘a world exhibition filled with interesting things’, and to represent the nationalities of every local resident. The park is divided into three areas: The Red Square, The Black Market and the Green Park. The Red Square is decorated with red-toned geometric patterns, contains cafés and feels modern and urban. The Black Markets’ ground are painted with white lines that creates almost aerodynamic patterns that curve around the benches and fountain. The Green park is a park for walking the dog, picnics and sports. Bring your camera as this area offers some great photo opportunities!
A Kilometer stone (circa 1925) stands directly outside Nørreport station, in Copenhagen K. It's easy to pass by, but definitely worth noting if you're in the area — The typographic work on it is incredible.