We want to float in Copenhagen!
The London-based architecture studio Pan Projects has designed Teahouse Ø, the first in an experimental series called Projects Ø, which explores the way he rethinks urban water spaces as new public spaces.
If there is a city that everyone looks up to as the best benchmark in terms of sustainability, that is Copenhagen. The city aspires to become the first carbon neutral capital by 2025 and in addition to having presented its CHP 2025 Climate Plan, It does not stop taking steps to be a little greener every day.
Among the ecological landmarks of the Danish capital are: CopenHill –a green ski slope on a waste plant–, Fælledby –the project that will turn an old landfill into an environmentally friendly neighborhood– or these floating islands whose construction is based on recycled materials and FSC wood.
Teahouse Ø: a floating tea room in Copenhagen
However, that green color has not always been there, because in the past, Copenhagen was a major industrial area and its canals were heavily polluted.
Over the years great efforts were made to reverse this situation and the boardwalk became a center of urban activities.
The canals of Copenhagen, cleaner than ever, are now home to a new space, Teahouse Ø, created in collaboration with Danish designer Helene Christina Pedersen and inspired by the way the surface of water changes, reflecting both its surrounding environment and the seasons.
"Teahouse Ø is designed to express the beauty of various natural phenomena created by water"
THE BEAUTY (AND THE MYSTERIES) OF WATER
“In order to promote this great movement for a better and sustainable life in the future, the floating pavilion project was first launched by Pan Projects, on our own, and later followed and funded by the Danish Arts Foundation and the City of Copenhagen”, account to Traveler.es the study directed by the duo of Japanese architects Kazumasa Takada and Yuriko Yagi.
“Teahouse Ø is designed to express the beauty of various natural phenomena created by the expressive substance of water in space”, they continue explaining from Pan Projects.
In Danish, ø means island.
Space fluctuates around various phenomena such as the reflections on the surface of the water, the movements of the weather and the transition of light throughout the day.
Also, the interior space and the appearance of the architecture seen from the outside are constantly changing depending on the surrounding context.
“By creating a translucent boundary made of acrylics that directly reflects the 360-degree expression of the water surface, it was possible to create a space where the various phenomena such as the brightness, the fluctuation, the mist of the water and, most importantly, the beauty of the aquatic space are well reinforced”, show from the studio.
Clear acrylic tubes create a rain effect
RAIN EFFECT
The transparent acrylic tubes that make up the structure of Teahouse Ø are suspended from the ceiling, so that they create a flowing water effect while at the same time providing users with privacy while floating in the canal.
The roof and base were manufactured in a local workshop using wood covered with polystyrene foam and covered with fiber reinforced plastic.
Teahouse Ø was designed as the first in a series of floating pavilions
TEA ROOM, DJ BOOTH AND MUCH MORE
In Danish (and in the conservative Bokmål script of Norwegian), ø is a word by itself that means island and that reflects, in a single letter, the function of this magnificent floating pavilion.
Although it was baptized as a Teahouse (living room or tea house), the truth is that the project is designed as a multifunctional space, which the citizens of the Danish capital can use as they wish.
For example, it has been used as DJ booth, floating stage for concerts and yoga room.
To move the flag along the channel, Teahouse ø has a hidden plate to attach a motor when you want to move.
Teahouse Ø will be followed by Oyster Bar Ø and Plaza Ø
WHERE IS TEAHOUSE Ø?
Today, Teahouse Ø is still floating in the canals of Copenhagen, but we cannot know the exact place, since it is constantly changing its location.
The pavilion was donated to a cultural organization that works to promote activities around the city's waterways. Last summer it was used for a floating party held by TOFU Magazine. Each house remained united in a boat, which allowed keep the safety distance while the dj played music inside the pavilion.
Teahouse Ø was designed as the first in a series of pavilions and although the project had to be postponed due to the pandemic, Pan Projects has two more spaces planned:** Oyster Bar Ø, which would be a floating bar and restaurant, and Plaza Ø, that would double as a gathering space on the water.**
Oyster Bar Ø and Plaza Ø will land in the next few years in the canals of Copenhagen to celebrate the sustainable future of the city.
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