2_3_ScanMagazine_Issue_81_Oct-Nov_2015_Scan Magazine 1 15/10/2015 21:36 Page 62
Scan Magazine | Architecture Special | Denmark
Left: Sanderumgaard, Odense. Top right: Copenhagen backyards. Right: Stændertorvet Square in Roskilde.
Caring for Denmark’s cultural landscape ”The Danish landscape is characterised by its open fields, hedgerows and groves framed by forests,” says Charlotte Skibsted. “It’s straight-forward, calm and understated. I think that’s how most Danes view their environment, and that’s reflected in all areas of Danish design.” Charlotte Skibsted knows what she is talking about. With two architecture degrees behind her, she set up Skibsted Landscape Architects in the 1970s, and today her multi-award winning company is heavily involved in developing and maintaining Denmark’s outdoor spaces. By Louise Older Steffensen | Photos: Charlotte Skibsted
Skibsted is a professional consultant to institutions such as the Danish National Museum and the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs. “My interest in cultural heritage in landscapes and architecture has always been the backbone of my professional work.” It is an area in which Skibsted and her team excel. “We recently completed an exciting restoration at Sanderumgaard by Odense, one of the most interesting Danish gardens of the romantic period,” Skibsted says. “As a starting point, with these projects, you have to dive into the history to uncover the original visions for the place, such as Rousseau’s back-to-nature philosophy for Sanderum-
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gaard.” One of Skibsted’s other current projects is the ancient Stændertorvet Square in Roskilde, adjacent to the cathedral where Danish monarchs are laid to rest. “Again, we’re designing a very modern, functional space, but with a nod to history in the layout and materials we use.” Parallel to the historical restorations, Skibsted’s team undertakes reinventions of private as well as public urban spaces. The work can be on any scale and may be privately owned or state funded, and the projects range from continuous maintenance to full-scale reimaginings. The top priority is creating environments that are functional and attractive in the 21st century.
“It’s so important to involve owners, residents and the public in the design process,” Skibsted explains. “It’s all about making liveable, creative places that people will want to use.” The team recently won a competition to reinvent a large nature park connecting LEGOLAND to Billund city centre with a concept revolving around the synergy between art, nature and playful learning. Skibsted has kept her team small, which has allowed a continuous high performance and focus on a few selected projects at a time. She has given lectures on Nordic landscape architecture at a variety of universities across the world and has set up a design studio in the south of France focused on private client projects. “My crew and I are diverse, of different generations and have a lot of international influences, but we’re naturally Nordic at heart, keeping it beautiful, simple and functional.” For more information, please visit: www.skibsted-landscape.dk