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COBE wins KUA University Square

United Kingdom Architecture News - Jun 09, 2015 - 10:16   10964 views

COBE wins KUA University Square

This creates a fine balance between the urbanity of the university campus and the remoteness of the nature reserve of Amager Fælled.

all images © COBE

COBE has won the competition for a new urban space and student's campus for the University of Copenhagen. One core element of the design is the creation of high capacity bicycle parking under and around three bicycle hills. Another is the integration of the University’s urban functions with the adjacent nature reserve, Amager Fælled. With its approximately 20.000 m2, KUA University Square will be one of the biggest public squares in Copenhagen.The project will be inaugarated in 2017.

COBE wins KUA University Square

The connection to Amager Fælled is created as a gradual transition from the urban university square to the greenery by naturally merging the green and urban spaces and materialities.

KUA University Square is a new urban space and student's campus for the University of Copenhagen in Amager (KUA). With its approximately 20.000 m2, KUA University Square will be one of the biggest public squares in Copenhagen. The new square is located between the newly built university buildings of KUA and the nature reserve Amager Fælled. The urban space of the university in North is connected to Amager Fælled in South through a gradual transition, making KUA University Square a hybrid of both park and square in one. 

COBE wins KUA University Square

... that give space for smaller events, gatherings or hang outs at the new university square by the water.

The square is laid out as an urban carpet floating over three bicycle parking hills, making room for 2.070 parking spaces both over and under the hills. Between the three hills, the heart of the new campus is located as a central meeting place, connecting the three main entrances of the university buildings. The new KUA University Square will be a well-functioning campus square, offering a vast variety of urban spaces, highly accessible for all users.

COBE wins KUA University Square

Along the canal, we create a square, perforated with more urban circular green cuts...

COBE wins KUA University Square

... enclose the inner square, that is framed by auditorium steps to allow for both intimate lectures for students as well as give seating for bigger events.

COBE wins KUA University Square

The main square and the bicycle hills... 

COBE wins KUA University Square

... creating a flexible main square open to students' learning groups and events alike.

COBE wins KUA University Square

The bicycle hills will not only be used as bicycle parking, but also offer a multifunctional roof...

COBE wins KUA University Square

COBE wins KUA University Square

Three types of bicycle parking are created - bicycle hills and two types of bicycle beds. Both uncovered and covered and slightly lowered in the ground. This creates the possibility of either walking on top of them, sitting along side them or merely parking your bike.

COBE wins KUA University Square

The bicycle hills are integrated in this fluctuating urban carpet, creating covered bicycle parking underneath

COBE wins KUA University Square

The new campus square with its adjacent greenery and bicycle hills has a surface that floats like a fluctuating urban carpet.

COBE wins KUA University Square

... and by night

COBE wins KUA University Square

The result is a campus square, that offers a vast variety of urban spaces, which are well connected within the city fabric and highly accessible for all users. Both by day…

COBE wins KUA University Square

COBE wins KUA University Square

Thirdly, we connect the landscape with the urban space by forming a gradual transition from Amager Fælled to the new university square.

COBE wins KUA University Square

Secondly, we create room for 2.070 bicycles by designing bicycle pockets and covered parking shells under three central bicycle hills in the surface of the square.

COBE wins KUA University Square

Firstly, we establish a central meeting place as the heart of the square.

COBE wins KUA University Square

To answer these challenges, the project is based on 3 elements that all help connect the main entrances of the university buildings.

COBE wins KUA University Square

The main challenges were to create a space for the very social, urban functions of a university square; to provide an adequate solution for the massive amount of bicycles; and to create a fine transition between the urbanity of a university square and the remoteness of the nature reserve Amager Fælled.

COBE wins KUA University Square

The university square is framed by the newly built university buildings of the faculty of humanities.

COBE wins KUA University Square

The project creates a new urban square and student's campus for the University of Copenhagen in Amager (KUA), located on the brink of Copenhagen's city centre and its nature reserve Amager Fælled.

Project Facts

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Client: The A. P. Møller Foundation

Program: New urban space for the University of Copenhagen in Amager (KUA)

Size: 19.100 m²

Status: 1st prize in competition in 2014, completed in 2017

Collaborators: CN3, Vind-Vind

Team: Dan Stubbergaard, Caroline Nagel, Maria Aufegger, Karoline Liedtke, Matilda Andersson, Birk Folke Daugaard, Christian Sander, Ben James, Joachim Makholm Michelsen, Ludvig Holtenäs.
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