Business and industrial areas around larger cities like Copenhagen occupy valuable space in the densely populated cities. Furthermore the areas are planned as mono-functional entities with activity within the working hours but deserted after dawn and during the weekend. As a result of the demand for housing many of these areas are completely demolished replacing a monofunctional industrial- and business area with a monofunctional housing area. The masterplan for Hørkær shows a third way to develop industrial areas into sustainable communities by merging functionality, typologies with nature and the use of resources.
Hørkær is situated in the Copenhagen suburb Herlev within a large industrial- and business area developed in the 60’s and 70’s. Due to the proximity of Copenhagen and the attention from developers some parts of the area are already demolished and replaced by housing projects. The ambition for the Hørkær is to create a city for people with urban life, green areas and a broad diversity of functions.
The masterplan promotes a mix of housing and offices along with a kindergarten, education and service functions. A part of the area is reserved for the Symbiosehusene project – an experimental symbiosis between living, working and sharing. The strategy is to preserve and transform where it’s possible and only demolish where it’s needed, leaving clear traces of the local identity within the new district. A green connection will emerge between the building plots, guiding pedestrians and cyclists between the area and the nearby train station and into a central park in the middle of the district.
