Day eight. The day I have personally been waiting for the most, touring day. Today I traveled from Copenhagen to the northern part of Denmark, to an area called Elsinore. This is a town that is located at a narrow straight between Denmark and Sweden. I got up at 7:00 am this morning and bringing my belongs downstairs to get loaded into the van and briefed on the day ahead. We were told there would be some stops along the way, the new Nordhavn district, Bakken amusement park, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. I will share all my experiences with each stop.
The first stop, Nordhavn is an old shipyard that is transforming into a new neighborhood, which, when completed, will have; a population of 60,000, a new metro line, swimming areas, schools, and retail areas. The whole group explored the area with two long term residents that purchased apartments before their building was even built. They mentioned how this new area is very prized by the Copenhagen city officials, because it is being designed to be the “perfect neighborhood” using all the latest technologies and designs, making it very energy efficient and enjoyable to live in. This past week I have been going to various architecture and planning firms, so, being able to be in it physically helped me grasp these ideas and see what is possible, it was a full circle moment for me. As we wrapped up the tour on a playground, located on top of a parking garage, it was so nice to see how the community members embraced their new community. They mentioned how they volunteer at a lot of community engagement groups, allowing them to feel even more connected with their new upcoming community.
The second stop on the tour was the oldest amusement park in the world. Which so happens to be in Denmark. I did not spend too much time here mainly because I wanted to go to the modern art museum up the road. The amusement park was only assessable by walking, bike, or horse. It felt as if I was in a fairy tale with small Danish cottages dotted around the forest. After a half hour I decided it was time to leave and move on up the road.
The third stop, I was excited for the most. The Louisiana is a modern art museum that focuses on Danish artists. Of course they have a Picasso and Andy Warhol, but it was the Danes I was more concerned about. So many times, I go an art museum, which have so many collections by big name artists. I feel there isn’t enough stress for the local artist showings. The museum its self is all over the place, with exhibits on the ground and some underground. They had a very explicit exhibit on the great refugee crisis into the EU, sharing stories of refuges in an artists perspective. This made me think of how art is a form of communication that can be used in public spaces to provoke ideas and pass on information. This is something that I have noticed in a lot of the parks in Copenhagen.
Later in the evening we made it to Elsinore. This was a lot later then what I first expected but with the stops along the way and relaxed attitude of it all it made it much more enjoyable. The place I am staying at is right on the water and has a lovely atmosphere. I will say that the bike infrastructure is not as good as Copenhagen’s but has a much-lowered population. Less people on the street in cars is a good thing as well. Well it is late; I am tired and I plan on sleeping in tomorrow. It will be a very relaxed day tomorrow, I am looking forward to it .
A photo of the route and a couple of photos from Nordhaven.
-Chip
