SVANEMØLLENS BARRACKS

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TREDJE NATUR have created a new masterplan for “Svanemøllens Kaserne” with an understanding of the areas special history as its starting point. The proposal integrates the flexible- and functional parameters in a new holistic architectural idea – an idea that creates a flexible allowance for the barracks continued development, and where users and functions meets in a new way with the purpose of creating innovative, and climate increased values for Svanemøllens kaserne.

Project information
Responsible partner: Ole Schrøder
Design team: Mette Fast, Lars Vinther, Karolina Anna Mieszczanek and Christian Roy Bendixen
Client: Forsvarsministeriets Ejendomsstyrelse
Project: Svanemøllens Kaserne
Location: Østerbro, Copenhagen
Type: Masterplan competition
Area: 120.000 m²
Team: TREDJE NATUR and JAJA Architects
Period: 2016
Status: Awarded

Overview

Nøren
Svanemøllen Barracks, also known as The Engineering common or colloquially “Nøren”, was built in the national romantic style in 1895-1896 by architect Caspar Leuning Borch and Captain H. Ulrich. The vision was to give the architecture a spiritual content that united the past and traditions with new ideas.

So to say an eclectic approach, which aimed to combine the best elements from different traditions and directions rather than formulate a theory or a point of view from one specific thought.

The Barracks
The Landscape is the structuring element of the plan and contributes to ensure the areas connections, safety and management of water. The green connecting elements are creating the framework for the barracks physical training, military exercises, sports, restitution, local meeting points and other recreational activities in “the green”. The proposal evokes something very special by strengthening the loose stories and connecting the separated and developed green islands.

Based on the history, landscape and nature, the project has an evolutionary approach where the new densification, solidarity and meeting points is thought as a development of something else and is more than the given program. We believe that we by designing the new, exiting communities and nature experiences creates a take-off for the development of the area, so it can challenge and shape the framework for the physical surroundings and the landscape. This way they can fortify the communities and the cohesiveness of Svanemøllen barracks.

Domicil

Building and landscape mix
The building zone is dedicated to the new headquarters of the Military Intelligence Service, including future extensions that together forms a complex of 35,000 m². The architectural concept is based on the master plan’s green character and a scenic approach to the domiciles perimeter.

Through a terrain modeling, the building’s base and perimeter security have enrolled in the landscape by which the potential for glimpse or inappropriate intrusion is reduced. Following the landscape approach, we propose a rational building located on a base of a varied and raised landscape.

Headquarter for The Danish Military Intelligence
The building’s upper parts are organized as loops of the number eight, with main entrance and goods reception centrally located. The internal loops is to ensure an efficient flow with short workpaths and space for spontaneous meetings and breaks.

The full featured domicile has three large courtyards, which ensures good daylight conditions for all offices with access to shielded green outdoor areas. The headquarters façade is characterized by its changeable expression that can give a regulated daylight climate and shelter from inappropriate views inside.

The Parade Square – classic axes in a soft frame
The proposal for the barracks central parade square is based on the existing buildings’ bright fan-shaped structure. A classic geometric system of axes formed in a combination of low planting, writing in the pavement, water elements and rows of trees that helps to highlight and support the building structure. The planted areas underlines the plans axial and perspective avenue-views and helps to break down the scale without losing the overview.

The outer frames of the parade square are consisting of green organic spaces for breaks, meetings and circulation between the buildings, in contrast to the sharp lines and axes, which defines the central parade square and existing building structures. The closely planted green pockets contains both recreational and functional programs such as bicycle parking, car parking, local meeting places and path systems.

Invitational spaces for activities
We have drawn the framework for good workout alternatives for both soldiers and users of the barrack, with a potential of incorporation of small training sessions, that in a natural way can be included in the pauses that occur between exercises or prior to appeal the morning and evening.

With an increased focus on the fact that we all need to exercise more often and more spontaneously, the proposal contains a nature-characterized approach to the barracks that via sensuality, terrain and general nature value invites to more movement and activity. The landscape is laid out as a dynamic size that can change character and programming accordingly to the barracks development and needs. The landscape can gradually be implicated and further developed, as the buildings expands and the area is “conquered”.

“Ø-banen” – a connecting activity landscape
To complement the rational grey infrastructure, we are introducing a green, blue and social nerve path called “Ø-banen”. The connection adds new places and intensities in the landscape that is going to be experienced as a coherent performative surface that binds building and external functions together.

“Ø-banen” functions as a structuring and distinctive infrastructural and landscape element that defines the construction areas as a connecting campus landscape. “Ø-banens” design plays against the buildings axial structures, and creates connections between the individual landscape clusters and encircles the area’s recreational pick outs and functional requirements.

Green social activity spaces
The green activity islands have a great extent of flexibility and can be programmed and redefined depending on what features are wanted. Activities on the islands are for instants:

Training stations for micro training, obstacle courses, military training areas, meeting places, cloudburst basins, educational opportunities, landing ground for helicopters, places to take breaks, bicycle parking and much more. The activities makes the islands to an active, varied and interesting landscape that binds the master plan together.

Infrastructural hierarchy
The area’s road network is built on the logic of an infrastructure hierarchy. The inner lateral connections represent a more local and ‘shared space’-like road section while the main traffic is led along the edge of the area. The primary infrastructure in the area is based on the existing roads that partially runs along the site’s perimeter. Pedestrians and cyclists traffic is kept mainly in “Ø-banens” branched path system. The local path connections are connected internally within the individual building plots in the built-up areas.

The master plan contains a large parking need and in order to avoid large empty parking areas, we propose a parking strategy that combines street parking, parking pockets and covered parking islands. The parking islands can be developed currently with the development of the area and has been planned under the light green roofs or on a green permeable coating. The bicycle parking are scattered ass small bicycle parking islands under green roofs and as local bicycle parking near the buildings.

Public perdestrian and bikecycle connections
The public connection for soft traffic between Kildevældsskolen and Ryparken cuts across the barrack area.

To establish an effective connection and a coherent area for the barracks, we propose to extend the level by an underpass so a lowered bicycle and pedestrian connection is created through the area. The lowered path are gradually rising and turns into a bridge raised above the landscape.

Subdivision and flexibility – an area in constant development
The master plan for Svanemøllen barracks is a process that extends over a longer period. Therefore, we have created a proposal that emphasize that the area can be functional and solid in any degree of expansion. The green “Ø-bane” and the landscape, functions as a structuring element in the plan and contributes to the creations of an area that seems finished regardless the expansion rate. The individual building plots is developmentally ‘fallow’ until the areas is established.

During this period, the undeveloped construction fields is utilized through an active green land development for exercises, training and sports. As the area’s requirements and building density increases, the green training areas is included. The plans flexibility is important to meet the futures possibly changing needs and requirements. The building plots is treated as organic elements that constantly adapts to each other. This way, it is possible for the plans clusters to be expanded, adapted and reshaped after the area’s specific needs.

Well on it’s way towards a third nature. The winning proposal is like a meteor strike in the functionally divided city

Boris Brorman Jensen in The Architect

It is captivatingly futuristic and, alongside the other comparatively simple schemes, speculates just how advanced we could be if we hadn’t neglected our urban waterways for so long.

Financial Times on HOW

A jury member described it as ‘academic hippie platitudes – plenty of feel-good, but completely unnecessarily high readability index’.
The most original is in the solutions presented. Not least what a jury member call ‘the Big Rainwater Penis’.

Creative Business Cup jury

The winning project of the Europan competition presents a visionary proposal for how we draw nature back into the city and utilize the qualities that it can give to the cityscape.

City Architect of Copenhagen, Tina Saaby

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