Vandtaarnsbyen
A new masterplan for the transformation of the area turns a sprawling suburban character into a identity rich and green neighbourhood blending history and urban DNA with culture and a diverse mix of residential typologies.
The transforming development of the area and its buildings results in a well-defined and mixed-use neighbourhood, blending housing with culture. It is a transformation that anchors history in the future by forming a masterplan inspired by local DNA.
Vandtaarnsbyen 'learns' from its surroundings and reinforces its qualities, turning the project area into an accessible neighbourhood - attractive for both residents and visitors. The natural centre is the cultural axis acting as a catalyst for renewed cohesion that re-connects several of the municipal anchor points.
Another essential part of the area's character is its proximity to nature - Naturepark Amager, Kalvebod Faelled and Amager Strandpark. With the completion of a new nearby City Park, as well as ongoing development of select landscape corridors, Vandtaarnsbyen is a central part of the green connection network.
The overall municipal area and its urban structure have grown from the farmlands that used to define the majority of the island Amager, close to the Copenhagen city center. During the 20th century, Copenhagen's expansion formed a continuous metropolitan area, yet Taarnby’s historic village character and the surrounding cultivated fields, farms, and courtyard typologies are still present in the urban landscape, alongside functionalist housing developments, villas, and terraced housing. The masterplan translates this series of heterogeneous traits into a coherent design vocabulary defining the new neighbourhood.
To ensure and anchor a sustainable direction for the area transformation, across all layers and scales of development, the masterplan is formed by a holistic approach, involving strategic as well as physical development.
Both sustainable principles and overall masterplan are formed by perspectives at three scales - the regional scale, the district scale, and the local scale - to map all potential to cultivate important and appropriate qualities for Vandtaarnsbyen.
The masterplan is based on three main development strategies founding a resilient structure capable of adapting to future changes without disturbing the overall narrative and urban design.
With the densification, Vandtaarnsbyen will open up to its surroundings connecting the entire area. The former schoolyard is transformed into the Culture Courtyard, which becomes a natural centre, while both transformed and new buildings provide varied housing typologies with a green identity as common denominator.
Type: Competition 1st prize
Program: Masterplan / Transformation
Client: Industriens Pension, Taarnby Municipality
Size: 3 ha / 38.000 m² incl. 3.000 m² culture house
Location: Taarnby DK
Year: 2026 - 2030
Collaborators: Ramboll
Image credits: ADEPT + Vivid Vision
