KLAR – Kontor for Landskab og Arkitektur

Name, title and affiliation
Henning Stüben and Dorte Børresen (kontor@klar-arkitekter.dk)
founders of KLAR
Teachers at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture, Copenhagen, Denmark

Short Biography

Abstract
Public space is always exposed to diverse and contentious expectations and identifications.
Instability, negotiation and change are the conditions of urban space in the contemporary city. The design of public space needs to respond to these heterogeneous appropriations and facilitate them. From our point of view, this requires precisely articulated urban landscapes or fields that are open to varying programmatic encounters. We try to design what we call hybrid forums that allow transformation over time and negotiation between different groups and interests, within a specifically designed frame-work.

As a part of Copenhagen's ambition to strengthen the city center (the so called metropolitan zone), KLAR and JDS are currently redesigning the harbor-front along the Northern part of Kalvebod Brygge. Being one of Copenhagen's most central waterfront locations, the project will meet diverse and competing expectations and claims. Our proposal is a modern interpretation of the quay, an urban activity zone, designed as a dynamic new boardwalk with public events along and on the water. The project allows multiple interpretations of the public realm, with a scope of water-front attractions that try to embrace urban diversity and instability.