Lagkagehuset
Location: Christianshavn, Copenhagen, Denmark
Client: AB Lagkagehuset
Team: Stig L. Andersson, Ulla Hornsyld, Rikke Geertsen, Hanne Bruun Møller
Design phase: 2007
Construction: 2008
Area: 550 m2
As one of the most distinctive and charming buildings in Copenhagen the yellow- and white-striped “layer cake”-like block distinguishes itself on the north-eastern side of the central square of Christianshavn. – A building with attitude and personality which draws a lot of attention by its mere visibility, its simple pure lines, and bold stripes. The Layer Cake House has become a modern icon of Christianshavn.
SLA has designed a courtyard with curvy, bodily shapes which contrasts the edgy appearance of the building. It has the rounded shapes of a painter’s palette. But instead of paint, the substance of the colours consists of different kinds of vegetation in altering heights. As a cornucopia of colours and changing foliage the courtyard garden becomes a big splash of Nature in the middle of the building, creating a completely new sense of place. The framing of the different floral fragments generates with the shifting heights a dynamic and unified whole. And the multiple organic typologies conceive various spaces and modes of use while the courtyard with its changing texture becomes a changeable sensory experience.
With its multicoloured and amorphous forms the garden of the courtyard connects very well with the other functions of the court. The soft and rounded shapes sway their way through the combined garbage and storage shed and enable a visual contact through semi-transparent wooden slats. Also the curves are used to create ideal parking for bikes while addressing the green centre of the courtyard.
The curvy backyard garden is already occupied by bikes and residents.
The new courtyard will through the radical transformation of the space enable a range of new activities and enhances the sense of community for residents in all ages. It will function as a safe and near playground and adventure space for the children of the estate and their friends. It will provide recreational out-door activity such as barbeque, joined meals and reading the newspaper in an inspiring environment. And the garden will stimulate the inclination to stay in the shared spaces and facilitate new random meetings between the residents in pleasant surroundings. One of the central points of reference is Charlotte Garden in northern Copenhagen.
The plantation has a low level of maintenance and consists of both evergreen and seasonal blossoming flora. The long and alternating flowering period guarantees a persistently coloured metamorphosis through the year. The garden will dress the winter in warm and golden shades while the summer will glow with cooling, refreshing tones. But the courtyard is not only a space for experiences and interaction. From the windows of the apartments it will be an ever-changing and beautiful exterior that provides the estate with a refreshing visual and vital identity.
