The embankment of Kalvebod Bruges, built up mainly with office complexes, until recently was one of the most deserted areas of central Copenhagen: life here froze immediately after the end of the working day. The city authorities made the decision to radically change its image and role in the structure of public spaces in the Danish capital in 2008, at the same time an international competition for the best reconstruction project was held, which was won by the JDS bureau.
In developing a strategy for the renovation of the embankment, the architects were largely guided by their own project: in the early 2000s, the PLOT workshop, which later split into two offices (BIG and JDS), built Copenhagen's first outdoor swimming pool near Icelands Bruges, artfully integrated into the water space of the Inner Harbor. Then the architects simply fenced off a small part of the water surface and landscaped it around the perimeter, creating a fundamentally new type of urban public space - a promenade, a beach, and an active recreation center in one bottle. And since Iceland Brugge is directly opposite Calvebod Brugge, it seemed logical for JDS to take this theme further.
However, this time the typology of the created public space is even wider - it is a beach, a walking area, an open-air stage, a playground for children and sports games, and even a kite pier. In order for all these functions to coexist peacefully, the architects designed two multi-level promenade-pier. In plan, these structures have a zigzag shape, due to which they shield two triangular pools. According to the architects, the purpose of these reservoirs is different - one is intended for sports events, performances and performances, the second will become a place for a beach holiday.
Each of the pools is adjacent to a pedestrian plaza. In order to maximally open these spaces to the sun, the architects carefully analyzed where exactly the shadow falls from the high-rise office complexes located on the embankment and chose places that are illuminated by the sun throughout the day. However, this does not mean that on the renovated embankment there is nowhere to hide from its rays: on each of the promenades, numerous bridges, paths and awnings create many cozy places for relaxation for every taste.
