The document discusses the concept of sustainable and densified cities. It advocates for carefully considering the use of land and integrating the notion of space as a scarce resource. The document proposes we conciliate diverse users and uses, densify cities to amplify their beauty and accessibility, hybridize functions in single places to invent new building types, and retrofit existing structures proudly without leaving a footprint. The official Danish contribution to the Venice Biennale promotes the "thinking city" concept, posing urban questions and presenting Copenhagen's answers.

1. Ιστορία και Θεωρία 6 : Η σύγχρονη εποχή
new projects | old cities
rethinking urbanity
thinking city
urban think tank

2. Dan
Stubbergaard
Vanessa Miriam
Carlow
If we want to build sustainable cities, we need to
integrate the notion of space as a scarce resource into
our work! There are still millions of undiscovered
possibilities how – on the scale of architecture, urban
and landscape design.
Our ambition is to carefully consider the use of land we will conciliate users and uses that seem mutually
exclusive, we will densify our cities and therefore
amplify their beauty and make it accessible for even
more people, we will hybridize functions in one place
and therefore invent building types and spatial
configurations that are breathtaking, we will retrofit
and therefore proudly not leave a footprint, we will
flexibilize our environment – not in the sense of
making it more generic, on the contrary – we will make
it so special that our successors will want to use it.
The official Danish contribution to the 12th International Architecture Exhibition
La Biennale di Venezia promotes the concept of the "thinking city," posing
urban questions and presenting the answers reached in Copenhagen.

3. 13.03.2012
COBE and TRANSFORM win
the competition to design the
Aarhus central station area
The project includes a new
urban neigbourhood, a new
bus terminal connected directly
to the central station and an
extension of the shopping
center Bruun’s Galleri

15. Nørreport Station is the busiest
train station in Denmark. 57.701
people use the station every
day and more than 100.000
pass through it

16. Nørreport is placed
as one of
Copenhagen’s
central arteries for
cyclists. Not only
does this demand
an extremely
optimized traffic flow
around the station,
but bicycle parking
also becomes a key
design parameter.

18. The main pedestrian flow happens to and from these entrances.
Mapped out, they form clear curves of flow over the site.

22. The massive roof ‘shells’ are concrete
cast on-site and seemingly ‘hover’
above the site to provide well needed
shelter from the elements.

24. The whole site is dotted with
ventilation towers that service
the underground station.
These towers are lit up at
night. Together with the
bicycle stands that also light
up, they form a glowing
nightscape that augments the
very urban feeling of the
station

26. Israel's Square
Copenhagen

27. The history of Copenhagen’s ramparts is dramatic and unique. Parts of the
history is still appearing in the public spaces of the city.
Israel's Square is Copenhagen's new urban plaza. The urban space consists
overall of a folded surface floating above the ground - like a flying carpet.
The square serves as one big open space for playing and activities. Different
challenges and facilities are created on the surface inspiring visitors for stay,
play and ball games.

31. 28.03.2012
COBE wins Lund Science
Village competition

32. Urban-Think Tank is an interdisciplinary
design practice dedicated to high-level
research and design on a variety of
subjects, concerned with contemporary
architecture and urbanism

33. METRO CABLE San Agustin, Caracas, Venezuela 2007 – 2010
Metro de Caracas

36. LECUNA AVE RE-URBANIZATION
Caracas, Venezuela .2009 Metro de Caracas

37. Lecuna Avenue presents itself as the spine of the area crossed by the
Metro line, opening up to everyone the new programs around the new
line’s five stations. These assemble a variety of recently recovered
spaces and varied program mixed together.The activities are overlapped,
layered and linked within the buildings and throughout the Avenida.

38. MODULAR MUSIC FACTORY Caracas, Venezuela 2008 – 2012
Fundacion del Estado para el Sistema Nacional de Orquestas Juveniles e
Infantiles de Venezuela

39. TEATROS Avenida Lecuna, Caracas, Venezuela 2009

40. We connected a housing block directly to Teatros metro station by bridging
over the avenue, directly linking housing and infrastructure. The additional
space we gained with the bridge allowed us to accommodate a bakery, print
company, radio station, auditorium, library, exhibition spaces, bar, sports
field, swimming pool and rooftop chapel in the project.

42. ALTAZOR HOUSE Caracas, Venezuela 2002

45. OLYMPIAKWARTIER Almere, Holland 2009 - 2012
Clients: MVDRV and Stadgenoot

47. For the life of the urbanite, space between buildings is as important as buildings
themselves, and consequentially, they must act together. Our proposal for the
Olympiakwartier development presents the idea that in order to achieve optimal
land use, we must also see the potential in activating all vertical, short term or
transient spaces. These spaces, which we have called, “charged voids” are
working as places of importance within our project for Almere. These inner courts
or vertical cracks, become part of the technological urban context of our buildings.
These cuts or courts are meant to be landscape strips allowing for small interior
spaces to appear. These common spaces are covered in glass and finished in
different glazed ceramic wall tiles to enable a unique green house interior.

48. new projects | old cities
rethinking urbanity
Μάθημα στη
Στέγη Γραμμάτων και Τεχνών
Τρίτη 5 Μαρτίου 2012 - 17.30
Vanessa Miriam Carlow
Alfredo Brillenbourg
Συζήτηση με αφορμή το Rethink Athens