Refurbishment of four historical Copenhagen courtyards to provide opportunities for greener urban communities.
Schulze+Grassov has been appointed by the City of Copenhagen to implement climate adaptation goals in the refurbishment of four residential courtyards from the early 1900's.
The project's starting point was a previous commission to develop a toolbox of parameters for green courtyard design for the City of Copenhagen. The four refurbishments include the removal of existing fencing, new pervious paving, planting, outdoor furniture, provisions for bicycle parking, and for refuse and recycling.
The refurbished courtyards improve the quality of life for residents and strengthen the resilience of the historic city centre as a good environment for urban family life.​
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Four Historical Courtyards
City of Copenhagen
Copenhagen, Denmark
Puggaardsgadekarréen
Livjægergadekarréen
Bartholinsgadekarréen
Kapelvejkarréen
2021-ongoing
In Copenhagen, residential buildings have historically been constructed as a square doughnut. The narrow, open space in the middle constitutes a courtyard. Originally they were dark, dull, and held shared toilets and baths, but during the past decades, bathrooms have moved into the apartments, and courtyards have gone through massive development. Today, most courtyards serve as shared outdoor living spaces that add quality to the residents’ everyday life. However, some courtyards are yet to be modernised.
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The four courtyards that we have refurbished are owned by the surrounding residential blocks consisting of different housing associations. Prior to refurbishment, each group of residents had a small space enclosed by fencing. In each courtyard, our designs bring forward one shared, modern, green city garden.
After
Before
Puggaardsgadekarréen
Completed 2021
Our first complete courtyard refurbishment is on Puggaardsgade in the Vesterbro neighbourhood of Copenhagen. The design includes new planting and paving, and lots of room to play and meet with neighbours.
Livjægergadekarréen
Completed 2022
In the Østerbro neighbourhood, the Livjægergade courtyard has planting on the rooftops of the waste management sheds which provides residents with green views from their apartments.
After
Before
After
Before
Bartholinsgadekarréen Completed 2024
When digging into the ground of this courtyard in Bartholinsgade, the remains of a former graveyard from the 1600s resurfaced. The Museum of Copenhagen was involved in ensuring that archaeological objects were handled respectfully. Now, a new flow through the courtyard is in use by happy Copenhagen residents.
Kapelvejkarréen
Ongoing
The courtyard on Kapelvej in the Nørrebro neighbourhood is currently in the design phase. We are collaborating closely with our technical advisor, Friedemann Rüter of gaardrum.dk.
