Magnus Maarbjerg from Danish design studio Fokstrot teamed up with Australian architect Marshall Blecher a couple of years ago to create floating wooden islands for the Copenhagen harbor. They built a prototype – a 20-square-meter floating platform with a linden tree – to show how perfectly the design can be used as a public space. It was the first in a series of floating platforms to come.
Blecher told Dezeen back in 2018:
The prototype island has been used as a resting place for kayakers and swimmers, for sunbathing, fishing, and small events. For example, later this month, it will host a lecture series about the future of harbor cities.
The project, called Copenhagen Islands, was approved and commissioned. Maarbjerg and Blecher began working on the rest of the islands aimed at adding interest to waterways. The island parks are designed to interconnect or float solo, depending on the festivities and the season.
Blecher told Dezeen this year:
The largest island will comprise nine modules with additional separate islands floating nearby. We have plans to add more separate islands as the project develops. The project is inherently flexible and organic.
The ambition is to have the cluster of artificial floating island parks combine and form a network, creating a “parkipelago” in the harbor.
Blecher said:
It was developed to introduce life and activity to Copenhagen’s rapidly growing harbor and to bring back some of the whimsy that has been lost in its development. Projects like this could help democratize harbors and bring some life back onto the water.
Studio Fokstrot said the aim of the island park is:
To renew the proud traditions of the Danish harbor life, by strengthening the social cohesion and awareness of the maritime life in and around the harbor.
The platforms are hand-made in a boatyard in the south of the harbor, crafted with traditional boat-making techniques. The structure is made of recycled boating material and thin strips of wood and steel.
Each module is created with the interest of the urban dwellers at its core. They are all activity-friendly, enabling visitors to enjoy kayaking, boating, swimming, picnics, events, performances, and more. The designers hope the project will boost tourism and make life better for citizens.
Symbiosis with nature is also essential here. The landscaping atop is carefully arranged to welcome new wildlife, and the submerged portion is built to be habitable for small marine life and seaweed.
Blecher said:
The top of the islands will be planted with endemic grasses, bushes, and trees, which will provide a sanctuary in the middle of an otherwise highly developed part of the city for the local seagulls, swans, pigeons, and ducks. The underside of the islands will provide an ideal environment for seaweeds and mollusks to attach themselves, in turn providing the perfect habitat for fish and other sea life to congregate.
There is a strong focus on improving the harbor environment for people and animals. Copenhagen Islands is an excellent example of design working in harmony with its surroundings while enhancing the lives of all living things. It’s beautiful.
