A green oasis at the harbor of Copenhagen: the opera park
Just when you thought Copenhagen harbor had everything its inhabitants and visitors needed (harbor baths, waterfront cafés, food markets – need we say more), the Danish architecture office COBE transforms a monotonous grass plane besides the water into an underground parking house with a green oasis on top. The parking can host up to 300 cars from visitors of the city center and the Opera, an architectural icon from Henning Larsen, which is already part of Scaledenmark’s guided tour along the harbor. The park offers a welcome break from the otherwise densely built harbor front.
Organic shaped paths along a variety of trees. Photo by: ©Bo Christiansen
A modern romantic garden
Since the opening of the park in October 2024, visitors can discover plants from all corners of the world along the winding paths. There are six different gardens: North American forest, winter garden, Oak forest, Birch forest, Cherry grove and English garden. The design tradition of the romantic garden formed the inspiration for the lay-out of this park. Historically, the romantic garden has been a refuge from the busy city life, with its scenic views, hilly landscape, hidden corners, and pavilions.
Overlooking the harbor from the pavilion. Photo by: ©Bo Christiansen
In the middle of the park an organic shaped glass pavilion hosts a restaurant and bar and attracts visitors even in the coldest and wettest of days (which are not entirely unusual in Copenhagen). In this way the park is being used in all seasons and at all hours in the day. The large atrium of the pavilion connects the restaurant to the two underground parking floors and houses a winter garden with exotic plants, continuing the motive from the park. A covered path connects the pavilion to the opera and ensures that its beautifully dressed up visitors can reach the building sheltered from wind and rain.
Winter Garden in the atrium of the pavilion, connecting the restaurant to the underground parking. Photo by: ©Bo Christiansen
The restaurant in the organic shaped pavilion draws visitors all year round. Photo by: ©Bo Christiansen
Developing harbor front
For the past couple of decades, new projects are being constructed continuously along the harbor. Just a stone’s throw away from the opera park and right across the colorful houses of Nyhavn, COBE has also created two innovative housing projects on Krøyers plads and Papirøen, both modern interpretations of the storage buildings which used to adorn the quays. The interesting use of historical elements in modern times makes the harbor an ever-recurring part of Scaledenmark’s architectural tours in Copenhagen. There is always a good reason to (re)visit this exciting waterfront.
https://www.cobe.dk/projects/operapark
Text by: Marrije Vanden Eynde, Scaledenmark
