Classical Parks vs. Contemporary Parks

For today's class, we had the opportunity to explore several urban parks within the city of Copenhagen, including two contemporary parks that contrasted all of the greenspaces that we had seen up to this point. In comparing the contemporary parks to the historic classical ones, there were several similarities and differences that became apparent.

The third park which we visited during our self-exploration, was Superkilen, a contemporary space consisting of three different areas: The Red Square, The Black Market, and The Green Park. The composition and design of these three areas compared to previous greenspaces such as Orstedsparken, was the major difference that we noticed upon our arrival. Unlike the classical makeup of Orstedsparken, which consisted of lush greenery, water, and garden fixtures, Superkilen was ultramodern, and was characterized by red rubber flooring, dark concrete, and interactive features. Although the last section of Superkilen contained grass and a few trees, the overall composition of the park remained very much contemporary. The lack of trees and greenery also made the space feel very open and exposed to the city around it, compared to other classical parks that made you feel like you were outside of the city and surrounded by nature. I found the contemporary parks to be more comparable to art, acting more as functional pieces architecture, rather than natural spaces.

However, a similarity that I found between contemporary and classically designed parks, was their functionality and purpose. Although aesthetically different, both types of parks are designed to be functional spaces for people to use every single day. Each space is situated in a places where people have easy access to them within the city, providing users with a place to socialize and meet, enjoy physical activity by using either trails or exercise equipment, and simply escape the streets of the city. On the outside, both contemporary and classical parks seem very different, but when you look at their overall purpose, both spaces are meant to improve the overall quality of life of the city's inhabitants, and help them to lead a healthy lifestyle.