Architects discover the roof as a public space: six beautiful buildings to climb with a picnic basket as soon as the weather is possible.
Author:Anna Lillioja
Date: April 17, 2020, 3:00 PM
In the documentaryBig Time, the Danish architect Bjarke Ingels talks about his childhood home: a flat-roofed sixties house on a lake in Denmark.His parents never allowed Ingels to play on the roof, which he thought was a shame.He started to draw buildings with roofs on which you could walk, play or even ski.
Those buildings from his dreams are now there, from Denmark to New York.At the Nyhavn in Copenhagen is Ingel's latest creation: the Copenhill.A waste incineration plant designed to accommodate a ski slope and nature park on the roof, designed by the landscape architects of the Danish architectural firm SLA.You can climb 85 meters along one of the walls, via the highest climbing wall in the world.
His Dutch colleague, the architect Rem Koolhaas, aligns Ingels' creations with those of the thinkers in Silicon Valley.According to him, it is not only about aesthetics, but also about creating a better world, in which people can live, live and work together and where nature and city coexist.In addition to Copenhill, we have listed five more beautiful buildings, the roof of which has a public function.Local residents create a breath of fresh air, visitors admire the beautiful view.Save the addresses, because when the stay at home is over, the roof parks will be open to everyone again.
1. Opera house, Oslo
Architectural firm: Snøhetta
The Oslo Opera House looks like a geometric mountain.Seemingly rising out of the water, it visually connects the city to the natural beauty of the Oslo Fjord.The roof surface rises from the waterline to the large, flat viewing terrace.In the summer, the roof serves as a grandstand for open-air performances.Although those performances have been canceled until further notice, the roof is still open to the walker.
2. Skypark, Hong Kong
Architectural firm: Concrete
The Skypark building seems to be home to millennials seeking balance, who long for serenity without giving up the bustle of the big city.With this wish in mind, the roof has been designed as an urban oasis.Picnics and barbecues are available.There are large seat cushions on the open-air stairs, from which visitors watch film screenings.The facilities on the roof run on renewable energy.The Skypark is (currently) open to residents only (but the rooftop park located elsewhere in Hong Kong on the Kai Tak cruise terminal is for everyone).
3. Moesgård Museum (Archeology and Ethnography), Aarhus
Architectural firm: Henning Larsen
Overgrown with grasses, mosses and colorful wildflowers, this roof blends seamlessly into the surrounding nature reserve - a favorite weekend destination for Aarhusians.The terraced construction is inspired by archaeological excavations that gradually uncover different layers of history.Visitors attend rooftop lectures, and even a traditional campfire during the midsummer night parties.The Moesgård Museum is temporarily closed, but the roof is open all year round, and is open now.In addition, the museum recommends on their Facebook page the four-kilometer-long historical walking tour that has been mapped out in the surrounding nature reserve.
4. Crossrail Place, London
Architectural firm: Foster + Partners
This shopping and leisure complex towers five floors above Canary Wharf Station, in the heart of London's financial district. Under a 310 meter long glass roof you will find a public garden full of tropical crops. Among the greenery: a free amphitheater. Crossrail Place aims, like the new Crossrail train connection, to connect Londoners. The events in Canary Wharf and Crossrail Place have now been canceled, but the amphitheater has plenty of theater, music and children's performances scheduled for the summer.
5. Hofbogen Air Park, Rotterdam
Architectural firm: ZUS
The Dutch sister of New York's Highline Park is located on the former tracks of Hofplein station. You will picnic here under fruit trees and walk among fifty grazing art sheep. Part of the roof is used for culture: open-air films, concerts, a wine festival. But Rotterdam has even more ambitious roof plans: in 2030, the center must have a square kilometer of multifunctional roof surface. From green roofs and solar panels to buildings with tiny houses. Hofbogen Air Park is now closed for a while, but it will open again as soon as possible.
Keyword:#greeninfrastructure #greenroof #urbanconstructure