It might not carry the same international weight as the Serpentine pavilion but the temporary summer pavilion at King’s Garden is an annual summertime highlight in Copenhagen.
The project is organized as a competition by the Danish Architects’ Association for its members. Out of 56 submissions, architects Jesper Kort Andersen and Mikkel Kjærgård Christiansen came out the winners with their Omkring – Around pavilion. Built in cooperation with students of Copenhagen Technical College, the Omkring pavilion is a circular wooden structure with a semi-secluded space at the center. The visitor cannot step directly into this inner circle from the surrounding park, but enter through one of four entry points and is directed in a circular or slightly spiraling motion towards the middle. The repetitive rhythm of Omkring resonate the surrounding renaissance-style park landscape and it’s formal symmetry. This also provides an interesting principle for a public space as the visitor can chose a more intimate social setting inside the pavilion or a more exposed position on the outer ring.
images: andreas.t