Vordingborg Castle Square

Location: Vordingborg
Client: Vordingborg Municipality
Team: Stig L. Andersson, Hanne Bruun Møller, Salka Kudsk, Katrine Sandstrøm, Sofie Kjærsgaard Dybro

Design phase: 2009-2010
Realization: 2011
Area: 4.000 m2

In connection with the renewal of the Danish Castle Centre in Vordingborg, the Castle Square is to be converted from parking space to recreational urban space.

Taking inspiration from local history, SLA got the assignment of creating the central space. Around the castle the moat is restored, with the castle square as the finishing touch.

The square will be the city's focal point and a new arrival space for visitors for the Danish Castle Center. The square will have one continuous floor that spans from the surrounding buildings and on to the castle terrain.

The materials in the square consist of a combination of traditional and contemporary materials: A traditional paving material laid in a contemporary pattern with furniture and details of steel and light materials. Also in the square, a series of illumi-nated water jets will transform the square into a magical place to be in - even after dark. The square contains references to local history through the use of water and markings in the pave-ment.

The coating material in the square refers to the castle materials. The square is covered with hand-ironed clinker of hard burnt clay tiles in shades of red. The coating pattern, on the other hand, is contemporary. The overall pattern is formed by a large square grid of boxes of 9.6 x 9.6 m. The direction of the grid follows the courthouse, while the lines in the pattern lead down towards the Castle Center. The regular grid pattern will underline the terrain’s waving shape and hence the castle bank.

The squares are formed by the clinkers. As a kind of giant her-ringbone pattern, special curved fields are placed in the overall square pattern. These fields are marked by turning the clinkers upside down. The underside of the clinkers has small millings.

The ruins of the Møllebæk Gate, which was once part of the cast-le's old entry gate, is marked in the coating with an imprint in bright polished concrete, showing the gate’s original extent. The ring wall, which previously ran from the Møllebæk Gate to the existing wall ruins, is also mark-ed in white concrete.

Five water jets are located in the original position of the moat, marking the water's historical development. When activated, a mist is sent out of the coating, making the water run through the square in the place where the moat once was.

The castle square will get a single new tree - a golden weeping willow.

All the street furniture - light po-les, benches, bollards and waste bins - are kept in light shades (white lacquered or steel) and thus have a light and elegant expression, which contrasts with the color and materiality of the coating.