Continuing the morning tour we arrive at the 8House in Orestad via the Orestad Metro stop. Our tour guide will be Nathan Smith, Biz Dev Mgr. for BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) for this project.
8House
The 8House’s intention was to improve city life within the boundaries of the building site. On the lower floors are commercial offices, a child care center and a cafe. The upper floors are 476 housing units with balconies that are arranged in such as way that it winds around a figure 8 ending in penthouse apartments at the top. This is a project that will appeal to those who are not shy as views are directly into each apartment from the “street” pathways. What I can’t stop remembering is how quiet the project was for having so many people living in such close proximity to one another.
After an escape from the pending rainstorm in the cafe for coffee, our Big (not to be confused with the Architects) Purple Bus arrives to caravan us to our next stop; The OSRAM culture Center and the Green Lighthouse.
We wouldn’t want you to miss out on the most significant cultural aspect of Copenhagen; bicycling. Currently, 45% of the citizens of Copenhagen use bicycles as their means of transportation. They have created bicycles to carry children and groceries and other necessities of life. The streets are well delineated for pedestrians, bicycles and cars; they use the hand signals for turning consistently and they have perfected this; just ask them, they will tell you if you are in the wrong.
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