The municipality of Copenhagen decided to establish 3 full automatic underground car parks, located in urban areas where parking on surface was insufficient. The goals were to establish more parking area together with more open space for people in high density living areas.
Liefsgade square is located on the island of Amager next to Copenhagen city. The surrounding housing is defined by blocks and for Copenhagen standard quite dense. Below the square were established 460 parking units operated by four car elevators.
The square should be redesigned with street football etc. and playground with attendant, in the middlepart. Surface parking and the wide streets should be involved to obtain a more easy, green, friendly and flexible square. It was redesigning the square, together with the local community, that became our contribution to this ambitious project after we won first prize in a design competition in 2008.
More space – Shared space
A great challenge was to combine all sorts of traffic and activities without dividing the square up in different functions and traffic. We wanted to shape a space with an impression of a coherent floor stretching out to the surrounding facades. Together with the department of traffic in Copenhagen we decided to design the square in accordance to the principle of shared space.
To emphasize the free mobility across and along the square we invented different objects to place on main traffic areas, to regulate mainly speed. Traffic cones and wooden blocks, to sit and play on – and not to drive in to!
Accommodating the surface.
In contrast to the level less floor of the square in grey scale colours, the street furniture that accommodate the surface, should appear more colourful and separate from the rest of the city, giving characteristics to the place. The street furniture are made of wood and painted steel.
Liefsgade Square | Copenhagen Denmark | Preben Skaarup Landscape
Client: The municipality of Copenhagen
Location: Amager, Copenhagen, Denmark
Area: 6.500 m2
Design: Preben Skaarup Landscape
Project team: Anne Vium Skaarup, Michael Hammelsvang,
Hanne Øllgaard
Winning awards 1. Prize in parallel competition
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