Culture Island, masterplan, Farum

In the development project ‘Farum’s Culture Island’ - new senior homes will be established, Farum’s green path systems will be expanded. The buildings where the cultural activities for citizens are located will be more accessible with a stronger connection between the buildings, paths and gardens.

Categories

  • Urban
  • Living
  • Culture

Location

Farum, Denmark

Year

2018

Status

On hold

Size

8,145 m²

Client(s)

Furesø Municipality

Team

Sophienberg Gruppen A/S

The main purpose of the masterplan is to create a more appealing city centre in Farum. The competition proposal addresses this purpose by transforming the city centre into a new and experimental urban area – a cultural island. The starting point for the competition is the street Frederiksborgvej 3-5, where Farum’s community centre with cultural activities for citizens and Farums’ library, museum, music school, shopping centre, cinema, the former City Hall and a public school from the 1920s are placed. The former City Hall and the public school are listed buildings, both incorporated as an integrated part of the masterplan.

Contact:
Lars Toksvig
+ 45 2720 0595
Lt@plh.dk

A divided city becomes a classical village

PLH and Sophienberg’s approach is to break down the divided urban structure and establish a village inspired context with a mix of houses, cultural activities, businesses and shops. By adding more windows and new entrances to the community centre, where the existing cultural activities for the citizens are placed, the buildings will open up and be more accessible. The area will get a new cultural square, the existing green path system will be expanded and the connection to Kumbelhaven is strengthened by a new area called Kumbelscenen - resembling an outdoor amphitheatre.

Kumbelscenen - an outdoor amphitheatre

The existing path from the train station area under Frederiksborgvej will be extended and a new path from Kumbelhaven will connect the whole area. This green path will get more lampposts and will be fortified by a spacious, terraced, circular hillside – like an amphitheatre. The idea is that the citizens now have the opportunity to take a rest in the sun and socialise. After sunset, the area will be illuminated by light installations.

The Old School and the former City Hall are converted into homes

The new Kumbelscene will be located in the middle of the city square, surrounded by the old school and the former City Hall. These listed buildings will be transformed into two floored homes – suitable for families or older couples. All apartments have their own gardens and some of them have balconies. As a part of the design, there are common rooms and guest rooms in the basement with direct access to the library garden.

New cultural square and senior apartments

To create a better connection in the southern part of the Culture Island, apartments will be built on the corner of Frederiksborgvej and Stavnsholtsvej. The new senior apartments will be two and three-roomed senior homes. All homes have balconies and living rooms facing the garden – away from the noise from the streets. The idea is to strengthen the residents' community by implementing a common hall, with access to large balconies. As a part of the proposal, senior residents have the possibility to use the residential café.

The apartments, the community centre and the music school are built around the new city square called Kulturtorvet. By using this approach, the city is welcoming the citizens into the new Farum.

"It has been exciting to work with the development of a central hub in Farum – a part of the old and new Farum. By turning an introverted building upside down and design urban spaces, so they support Farum’s cultural activities for the citizens, the cultural life becomes more accessible to Farum's citizens and creates a completely different perception of the whole city. Our proposal simultaneously breaks down the highly functional urban spaces and creates a diverse urban structure by mixing homes, cultural activities, businesses and shops."

- Lars Toksvig, partner and architect, PLH Arkitekter.

"The approach creates a whole new perception of Farum. It has been important for us to preserve the city hall and developing the rest of the area.”

- Egil Hulgaard, Chairman of the City Development and Housing Committee for Frederiksborg Amts Avis, a regional newspaper.

"Everyone should feel that Farum is starting here. The city will open up and be a more attractive place for the citizens.”

- Lene Munch-Petersen, Chairman of the Committee on Nature, Environment and Green Conversion to Frederiksborg Amts Avis, a regional newspaper.