TRIP TO COPENHAGEN AND MALMO DAY TWO

The day started with a light breakfast after which we met at the hotel reception lobby as a group and departed for the days walking tour which looked promising. The weather was still cold but we were all dressed for the occasion. David our tour guide took us to visit the famous Jan Gehl the author of ‘LIFE BETWEEN BUILDINGS’ I was so happy to meet the Architect whose book was the first book I read for my book reading.

We arrived the firm and were welcomed by Louis Kegel Kielgast who delivered a brief presentation about the firm and Copenhagen; she spoke about the importance of public life which has brought positive change in Copenhagen. More public spaces and pedestrian routes were provided for the people of Copenhagen as a result of creating quality public space, after the seminar we were opportune to meet Jan Gehl briefly.

Then we continued on our working tour, we walked through Stroget which is the major pedestrian street and we saw the royal Danish playhouse on our way to Nyhavn waterfront.

The Nyhavn water front is known for its sustainable waste management. The system is built and run by R98 (The waste disposal company of 1898). The users of the system are approximately 150 flats and 120 restaurants and other businesses which are around the waterfront, the system allows both kitchen waste and waste from the restaurants and other businesses to be thrown into the vacuum system. This is not allowed in the rest of the city. The amount of waste collected during the summer is about 60 – 70tons per month while during the winter the amount of waste collected is about 30 – 35 tons per month. Behind the project was a wish to:

·         Improve working conditions for the refuse collectors.

·         Improve hygiene in the restaurants, where the waste was stored in the backyard and later carried out through the restaurant for collection.

·         Remove the heavy traffic from refuse collection trunks.

Later on we went for lunch which is another typical Danish meal, from lunch we continued our tour through the kings new square to the east of stroget while at the end of the harbour was the opera house which we visited with the ferry  boat but unfortunately it was closed.

                           

Image courtesy: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Copenhagen_Opera_House_-_front_view.jpg

Then we went to Torpedohallen which was built after the World War 2. Torpedohallen was a shipyard used for the construction of torpedo boats but now it is an exclusive apartment of high quality i.e from motor boats – Condos.

                 

Image courtesy: http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/38753276.jpg

The bare concrete columns and beams that shape its profile still remains, the original exposed steel trusses and high ceiling makes the apartment quite unique and also, the centre of the hall where the boats are launched still exists. 

            

Image courtesy: http://lh5.ggpht.com/-F6G3T_TjYTc/Sipw5m9EVYI/AAAAAAAABzA/cfhpAubZN08/cimg1836.jpg

The proximity of the water on all sides of the apartments allows the residents to enjoy a lovely day out during the summer. We then took the Metro to Svanemoelle and Sluseholmen to see more residential apartments and after the tour we went back to the hotel to refresh, relax and sleep. Later on we wanted to explore more of Copenhagen but my friend Mr Snow was very extreme and harsh so we took shelter in our comfortable rooms and had time to reflect on the day’s event.