Superkilen

Superkilen opened in 2012 in one of the most ethnically mixed districts in Denmark, and its organising idea was direct: rather than design a neutral park, the architects and artists asked residents to nominate objects from the countries they came from, then acquired or reproduced them and installed them here. So there is a fountain from Morocco, a bull from Spain, neon from Russia and China, benches from Brazil, soil from Palestine, a boxing ring from Thailand and manhole covers from Zanzibar, around a hundred objects from some sixty countries, each with a small plaque saying where it came from. The park is in three parts: a red square for sport and markets, a black square with a Moroccan fountain as its social centre, and a green park for play.

History

Superkilen, almost a kilometre long and named after its wedge shape, was designed by the art group Superflex with Bjarke Ingels Group and the German landscape firm Topotek1 as part of an urban improvement plan of the City of Copenhagen and the philanthropic foundation Realdania for the Nørrebro district. Conceived as a kind of world exhibition for the local residents, who come from more than 60 nationalities and contributed their own ideas and objects, it was commissioned in June 2008, designed between January 2009 and February 2010 and built between August 2010 and June 2012, when it officially opened, at a cost of US$8,879,000 (Wikipedia, Superkilen).

What to look for

• A hundred objects from sixty countries - each plaqued with its origin.
• The red square - sport and market ground in saturated colour.
• The black square - white lines on dark asphalt around a Moroccan fountain.
• The green park - grass mounds for play at the northern end.

When to go

April to October when the park is in use; it works year round but is bleak in winter rain. One hour to walk it and read the plaques. Late afternoons and weekends are when the neighbourhood uses it.

Before you go

It is a neighbourhood park, not an attraction, and there is nothing to do beyond looking. Some of the objects are worn or damaged. The red square in particular can feel bleak when empty. The concept has been criticised as tokenistic, which is worth knowing before you form a view.

Nearby

Assistens Cemetery is south; Norrebro's cafes and shops are around it.

Key facts