Adaptation Park

How can we envision the necessary climate investments to not only rescue the city in extreme climate event, but deliver 24/7/365 urban liveabilty?

Enghavepark's profound transformation into Copenhagen's largest climate project serves a dual purpose: To address the city's pressing water challenges and breathe new life into its historical and cultural heritage. Rooted in an optimistic and playful mindset, the project redefines challenges as opportunities, aiming to strengthen cultural heritage through radical climate adaptation while rethinking resource management.

Enghaveparken, established in 1928 as a cornerstone of Denmark's early welfare state, provided a sanctuary for locals in Vesterbro and featuring some of Arne Jacobsen's early work. However, changing urban dynamics rendered the park obsolete, aggravated by floods from cloud bursts in the 2010s. Positioned strategically at the base of a hill, the park emerged as a vital location for handling extreme rain events.

The innovative approach involves redirecting rainwater to a 22,600 m3 reservoir and a 2000 cubic meter retention chamber. Rainwater becomes a sensuous resource, circulating in a channel for visitors to interact with, and utilized in a fountain garden. This approach not only caters to recreational needs but also emphasizes a causal understanding of resources, saving millions of liters of groundwater and aligning technical water solutions with a sensory dimension.

Excavation within the neoclassicist structure created space for 9,000 cubic meters of rainwater, with a low 'water wall' containing an additional 14,000 cubic meters. Automated gates activated by water and gravity, ensure climate adaptive elements function seamlessly. During extreme rain, the gates close, and allows the park to absorb the large water volume and protecting the district from the downpour.

We believe that by making the climate tangible and visible to the park's visitors, we can promote a better understanding on how to act in a time of adversity.

Enghavepark's architectural strength lies in the integration of massive water volumes within its neoclassicist aesthetics, showcasing a pioneering approach to climate adaptation. Restoration of Arne Jacobsen's early works and reconstruction of functionalist pavilions emphasize preserving and rethinking shared cultural heritage amid the climate crisis.

The park's atmosphere, handling water in innovative ways, inspires pragmatic, sensuous, and aesthetic reflections on climate challenges. It's water technological and architectural accomplishments manifest when the park transforms into a continuous water reflection during extreme rain, marking a new type of urban metabolism.

The transformation allows for Enghaveparken to reemerge as a green sanctuary blending a tight frame of cultural heritage with wild urban nature. With new plantations, including 83 trees and 11,000 perennial plants, the park enhances biodiversity, creating habitats for urban wildlife. It offers diverse possibilities, from multi-purpose pitches for street sports and concerts to rose gardens, playgrounds, and pavilions, ensuring it becomes a green urban space for everyone.

Before the transformation the park received one million visitors annually. Anticipating an increase in visitors with nearby developments, Enghaveparken stands as a testament to Copenhagen's commitment to radical climate adaptation, cultural preservation, and a vibrant urban environment.