_{Photo: ©SLA / Beauty and the Bit}

Led by the architectural lab SLA and Ramboll, the project “The Soul of Nørrebro” was revealed as the winner of the urban development competition, the Nordic Built Cities Challenge. The project aims at managing rainwater from cloudbursts by the implementation of 'blue-green infrastructure' in the Hans Tavsen's Park in Copenhagen.

When implemented the project will transform the park into a series of multifunctional rainwater catchment basins from which the excess rainwater is lead to the adjacent Korsgade street into The Copenhagen Lakes. On its way, the water might also be purified biologically by city park greenery in Korsgade street.

-The project has been developed in a close collaboration with users and local citizens, and it might be an international beacon for climate adaptation in cities, since it brings together the right technical and social aspects. Therefore, I am very pleased to see it win the Nordic Built Challenge, says Christian Nyerup Nielsen, Director for Climate Adaptation in Ramboll's global Water Practice.

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Providing a new model
The Nordic Built Challenge is an open, multidisciplinary, needs-driven competition to develop and visualise Nordic innovative solutions for liveable, smart and sustainable cities. Initiated by the Nordic Council of Ministers the challenge is one of the biggest and most ambitious urban development competitions ever. 145 participants from all of the six Nordic countries have showcased cutting-edge projects within design, architecture and engineering.

The project was awarded by an independent jury that emphasized its high aesthetic value and stressed the fact that the project provides a brand new model for climate adaptation and cloudburst mitigation.

In addition to SLA and Ramboll the project team also includes Arki_Lab, Social Action, Gadeidræt, Aydin Soei and Saunders Architecture.

- Source: Ramboll