Even though the sun is high in the sky the air around you feel cool as you sit it in the shade of a small tree. Everything around you explodes in color: green, purple, light blue, red, yellow, orange. The scents of the purple-flowering plants on the on the terrace itself and the sunset-colored flowers along the edge of the building wrap you in a fragrant blanket. And even though you are in the busy, buzzing, noisy heart of Copenhagen everything is calm and quiet. Welcome to the rooftop garden at Ny Østergade.
Noise pollution and more frequent heatwaves due to climate change is a rising problem in Copenhagen – and many other cities. At the rooftop garden at Ny Østergade 1:1 landskab used planting to create a lush and serene refuge in the midst of the noisy, dense urban city. The greenery is used as a sound barrier and a way to create a cooling microclimate. To the street side a building long edge plant bed with smaller trees and taller plants function as a border against street level noise pollution, wind and sun. The color palette here references the sunrise with yellow, orange, and red flowers and plants.
1.1 landskab found inspiration in the tranquility of old monastery gardens with their small paths and herb and medical plants. Therefore, herbaceous plants such lavender, sage and rosmary have a prominent role in the plant beds in the main areas of the terrace. As you walk down the small paths between the plant beds the scents blend and contributes to the tranquil blanket hovering over the entire terrace, adding to the experience of tranquil refuge away from the urban city.
The floor of the roof terrace is contiguous sandstone patterned tiles interspersed with spots of greenery. The terrace is divided into smaller spaces, so the several residents can use it simultaneously without feeling they intrude one another. The orangery has both kitchen, long table and grill. Making it possible to host dinners or neighbor-parties.
The rooftop garden at Ny Østergade is an example of how it is possible to create lush and serene refuge in the midst of dense urban city. How a small area can hold a lot of greenery and a big experience, help ward of the negative impacts of the rising temperatures and let residents disappear and unwind from the busy, noisy everyday of Copenhagen.
Nominated for the mies van der rohe prize 2022
Awarded: Store Arne 2021 award,
BYGGERI Årets Bolig 2021 award
the Copenhagen Beautification Diploma
Architecture offices involved in the design:
Architect Praksis Arkitekter (building)
Engineer Henry Jensen
Location: Ny Østergade, Copenhagen, Denmark
Design year: 2019
Year Completed: 2020
