The Winter City: Activating public space in winter
Exhibition
Dec 18, 2015 - Feb 21, 2016
The Winter City in 2015 showed how public spaces can be activated in winter through materials, light and heat—alongside Sunday walks along Copenhagen’s harbour quay.
In Denmark, we make really good use of our urban spaces during the summer months. There are numerous cultural events and the squares, the docks and the streets are used extensively for a wide variety of activities – the same cannot be said for the Danish winter months. How can we move beyond the indoor comfort-culture and create some urban spaces which can be used for much more than just passing through in the winter? By rethinking the materials, light and heat sources we use, winter urban spaces can also create new communities and venues with some entirely different characteristics than those we know from the summer.
The exhibition The Winter City asked why we are not utilising the opportunities that winter brings to a greater extent and thereby creating a more vibrant city in the cold months. The exhibition portrayed several examples of how other cities in the northern hemisphere have developed ‘winter urban spaces’, with a wealth of inspirational solutions. From there, the exhibition took us back to Denmark and on a trip through the city, where new and exciting winter initiatives are fortunately already well under way.
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What was The Winter City exhibition?
The Winter City was an exhibition about creating public spaces and activities that also support urban life in winter by activating city space in new ways.
When did The Winter City take place?
The exhibition ran from 18 Dec 2015 to 21 Feb 2016.
What approaches does the exhibition highlight for winter public space?
The exhibition highlighted rethinking materials, light and heat sources so winter public spaces can become meeting places with different qualities than in summer.
What were the Sunday walks mentioned in The Winter City?
Every Sunday during the exhibition period, visitors could join walks along Copenhagen’s harbour quay to see how little it can take for a city to work well in winter too.
What are Winter Stations and “The Sling Swing” mentioned in the text?
Winter Stations is a competition held in Toronto in Feb 2015 that reinterprets lifeguard towers for winter; “The Sling Swing” was one of five winning projects, and the 2015 theme was “Heat”.
What should I know if I only read one thing?
The Winter City (18 Dec 2015–21 Feb 2016) showed how small interventions—light, warmth and materials—combined with real Copenhagen examples can make winter urban life more active.