Køge Bay Beach Park: Visionary Coastal Landscape

Køge Bay Beach Park is a designed piece of nature that both protects the eastern coast of Zealand and creates new recreational opportunities for residents of Copenhagen’s western suburbs.

Can we imagine building with nature in the same way we build cities? Architectural planning is not only about constructing buildings and cities but also about creating vibrant and attractive landscapes. Landscape architects work on urban environments like squares and parks, as well as developing large natural areas.

Nature Protection and Recreational Space

Køge Bay Beach Park is an artificially constructed beach, primarily created to protect low-lying coastal areas with many homes from flooding.

Between 1976 and 1979, a series of barrier islands off the coast of Copenhagen’s western suburbs were expanded in a large-scale project. Sand was pumped in from Køge Bay, and the lakes behind the islands were excavated. This expansion allowed for the creation of today’s extensive recreational area. In addition to 7 kilometers of sandy beach and dunes with kiosks and parking facilities, four marinas were established. These marinas, also known as “green island harbors,” are located in Brøndby, Vallensbæk, Ishøj, and Hundige.

A Model for Man-Made Landscapes

The vegetation in Køge Bay Beach Park was carefully planned. A total of 2.6 million clumps of beachgrass were sourced from Western Jutland and planted to stabilize the artificial dunes and protect them from sand drift.

By “moving” nature, new recreational opportunities were created, enhancing the quality of life for suburban residents near larger cities. The project has proven to be an exemplary model of how nature protection and man-made landscapes can coexist, inspiring similar projects, such as Amager Beach Park, established in 2006.