Copenhagen does Open House

Copenhagen hosted its first Open House (EN) as part of the events programme for its tenure as the second World Capital of Architecture on 25-26 March.

You may be familiar with the Open House concept, which has been plugging away in London and a host of other cities for up to 30 years, usually during September. Other cities offer home-grown versions; in Germany the Tag der offenen Tür takes place in many major cities, also in September, while the rest of the UK goes with Doors Open Days and Heritage Open Days, inspired by European Heritage Days.

Open House Festival celebrates our curiosity for what happens inside the buildings that we walk past every day; a festival that works to give all Londoners the chance to learn from the city’s best architecture and the people behind it.

The Copenhagen run-out was good news, covering spots less well-trodden by organiser DAC’s tour portfolio (although a bunch of gårdhaver and a boutique hotel or two sneaked in), but unfortunately registrations closed as early as the end of February. It seems that DAC seriously under-estimated interest – 62K registered, while capacity was capped at 10K for the weekend. Many tickets were annulled, and looking at the Copenhagen World Capital website it’s like it never happened.

So, we would have swung by but it was not to be.

My top five of the over 50 spots (by area) to follow up:

• the HOFOR collection: the utiity company offered access to a 320m long tunnel under the harbour and an underwater ‘fridge’ at Ofelia Plads, as well as to two rather more striking spots at Kløvermarken: an historicist pumping station and a rawly functional gasworks
• FABRIKKEN (modernist laundry) and Maskinhallen (turbine hall): there’s something quite chilling about Sundholm, a former workhouse complex surrounded by a moat until the 1950s; have these two reuses, artists’ studios and an events venue respectively, banished the ghosts?
• Østerbro brandstation: inspired by a hill town in Tuscany and opened in 1901 to serve the now vanished Frihavn (freeport), today finds itself between the Look at me! architecture of Nordhavn and the understated uniformity of Østerbro
• KMC Nordhavn: in the liminal landscape at the far end of Nordhavn lounges The Camel, offices and depot for polluted soil, at one with its surroudings, it says here
• Skabelonloftet: stands out among the decaying industrial architecture on Refshaleøen; now housing creative types, with a great view from that iconic staircase

Up to now two events on the Copenhagen’s events calendar have (sort of) made up for the lack of an Open House weekend, spanning the spectrum from family-friendly to strictly professional:

• Kulturnatten (Culture Night): back in 2015 I took a close look at this family-friendly fest kicking off half term, concluding that the powers that be would do well to open those doors on a Saturday or Sunday rather than a Friday evening in October, so those who just want to nosey around some buildings could get access during daylight
• Arkitekturens Dag (Architects Day): organised by Arkitektforeningen (the Danish Association of Architects) and held on the first Monday in October as the Danish contribution to World Architecture Day; events mainly held during working hours for achitects and other urban professionals

Will Open House Copenhagen make a return? And will DAC take on some other ideas from London and elsewhere to create a more inclusive and diverse urbanist offering in the future, rather than largely peddling its rather one-note message?