The rich history of Købmagergade is reinforced and reintroduced within a contemporary context.
The new Kultorvet plaza will re-present the site in a highly memorable and experience enhancing manner, reinstating Copenhagen as one of the world’s premier cities, with Kultorvet-Købmagergade at its center.
Kultorvet and Hauser Plads dialogue each other through their topography. At Kultorvet we introduce a soft “valley” and at Hauser Plads, a gentle hill.
As people move through Kultorvet they will note their position in the plaza through the slight level change.
The slope enhances one’s ability to see (from the edges) and be seen (from the center), building on the spectacle that is a public plaza. Furthermore, the opportunity for large concerts or improvised performances is much improved.
At Hauser Plads the hill itself becomes the element for play. The slope allows opportunities for roller skating, slides, and children’s games. The spiral form creates a spatial center and hierarchy to an otherwise flat place. Trinitatsplads is opened up. The church and tower that were before located on a street corner is now conceived as one object placed in the center of a grand urban space.
The streets are given the same paving as the rest of the project, tying the whole area together.
We propose taking advantage of the topographical vocabulary at Kultorvet and Hauser Plads to create a more handicap accessible environment along the streets and storefronts.
The areas of existing trees on Købmagergade and Fredriksborgsgade are used as zones for rest. There is plenty of space for seating elements under the trees without disrupting the flow of people and create congestion. In line with the existing trees are also grouped bicycle stands and trash bins, leaving the rest of the street empty from fixed street furniture.
