1195 | 406 | Urban bathing and harbour baths as new places for neighbourhood life. The case of the Nordhavn waterfront boardwalk.

Since 1990, the city of Copenhagen has undergone a major transformation of its harbour areas. The former polluted industrial wastelands are being transformed into residential districts with a peaceful living environment (Kural, 2010). From 2002 onwards, urban bathing was made possible and became the symbol of the reclamation of the natural river environment. Numerous bathing areas which are both functional and hedonic have appeared and now question the appropriation of the waterfront as a living space by the inhabitants. The Nordhavn urban project to the north of Copenhagen is a good example of this urban transformation, built on the idea of the “five-minute city”, car-free and closely connected to its direct maritime environment. Based on Jan Gehl’s (2012) urban planning philosophy, every waterfront pier and street corner are now dedicated to urban life and the social activities of local residents. _x000D_
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How did the public actors and architects envision the creation of urban life in a completely new neighbourhood? How can the urban bathing facility in Nordhavn be understood as a successful example of urban and social life creation? _x000D_
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Methodologically, this investigation is based on an in situ and participative observation of the bath users, combined with 10 semi-directive interviews with the users of the harbour baths, the architects behind the design of the waterfront and the public actors. In-depth work on the analysis of architectural plans and photographic materials was also carried out. We will show how the Sandkaj boardwalk can be considered as a typical example of the connection between built environment and neighbourhood life. More than a bathing place, this area has become the place where the inhabitants of the neighbourhood gather, experiment co-presence and enjoy various inhabitant practices related to the Scandinavian active body way of life._x000D_

Clément BRUN ; André SUCHET
LACES, University of Bordeaux ; PAVE, Bordeaux National School of Architecture and Landscape

ID Abstract: 406