Danish Architecture Center’s (DAC) new exhibition, Water is Coming, addresses one of the most pressing issues of our time: how we will live, develop, and protect our cities when water comes. According to Pernille Stockmarr, Senior Curator, we are now at a crossroads.
— Human-made climate change reflects an imbalance that we have created in nature’s water ecosystems, she says. Water is the source of all life, and we have mostly seen it as a resource. This imbalance now means water has also become a threat to the world as we know it. Melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and more intense and frequent weather events such as storm surges and heavy rainfall are challenges — but there are also opportunities and solutions, which the exhibition explores. Our goal is to foster understanding and encourage reflection, conversations, and debates about the situation.
You mentioned challenges and solutions, which ones do you highlight?
— We present the consequences of climate change and how, in many parts of the world, water will come from all directions — from the sides, from below, and from above. This means rising sea levels, higher groundwater levels, and more concentrated rainfall, as well as violent storm surges and floods that could have catastrophic effects.
— We showcase ongoing solutions in Copenhagen and globally, which take different approaches or combine them to protect cities and landscapes. One approach is retreat, where humans move and resettle in more protected areas. Another is more technical, where we keep the water out, fortifying ourselves with dikes, barriers, walls, and sluices. Lastly, there’s a nature-based solution, which is gaining attention, where we use nature’s own methods to absorb the water by creating wider coastal stretches and wetlands that protect coasts, or green roofs and urban green areas in cities. This method can withstand water, absorb it, and either delay its impact or recycle it.
Can these changes also create new opportunities?
— You could say that they force us to rethink the relationship between humans and nature, and that we must humbly see ourselves as part of nature and adapt to it. In several examples in the exhibition, we highlight cases where storm surges and rainwater collection systems in cities create new urban spaces that bring more nature into the cities. Coastal developments and proposals for homes not just by but on the water also create recreational areas, bringing nature and people together, and crucially, increasing biodiversity both above and below the water. These are new ways of thinking that offer hope for a different but also attractive future.
Tell us more about the research presented in the exhibition.
— We present research, studies, and data through the various case studies on display. For instance, we show findings from a major preliminary study on storm surge protection for Greater Copenhagen, led by Sund & Bælt. This includes projected water level rises in Greater Copenhagen by 2075, presented through graphs and animations. We are showing mainly the results in proposals and cases where data and research have been supporting the development of water storage and recycling efforts, as well as the planting of specific types of flora based on geographical conditions, such as in La Fay Park by SLA.
— Also, several of the projects in the exhibition were developed in collaboration with researchers. Similarly, studies and analyses underpin the changing strategy for the city of Svendborg, where areas now will not be protected but are being developed to withstand flooding, which can be experienced in the exhibition.
Water is Coming also highlights Tåsinge Square, which is part of Denmark’s first climate-resilient neighbourhood in Copenhagen’s Østerbro district, which is otherwise a densely built residential area with limited green spaces.
— After a severe cloudburst in the summer of 2011 made it clear that the city’s sewer system could not handle the increasing water volumes caused by climate change, Copenhagen developed a climate adaptation strategy. This led to the creation of this first climate-resilient neighbourhood, Stockmarr explains. She continues:
— Tåsinge Square is the first climate-adapted urban space in Copenhagen, designed to manage large amounts of rainwater. The square serves as a green oasis where innovative solutions help store water from heavy rainfall. The rainwater either seeps into the ground or is stored in a large tank for later use. By using recycled materials and diverse vegetation, an urban biotope has been created where children can play and learn about rainwater management. The square also encourages both activity and relaxation and has become a popular meeting place for residents. Some water-related sculptures are shaped like raindrops and reflect the sky, while others resemble umbrellas that collect rainwater, later releasing it onto the square — delighting those who didn’t get wet enough in the rain. The lowest point of the square, the lush Rainforest, features rich vegetation. At one end is a dry high point, while the other features a moist low point, showcasing a variety of Danish flora and creating diverse growing conditions in the heart of Copenhagen.
What are your takeaways after creating the exhibition?
— Over the last six months, we’ve learned that this topic has become even more relevant than anyone could have imagined, and there’s been a shift in awareness of the growing problems. It also became clear that adapting to these new circumstances is a complex task, involving economic, political, demographic, legal, and practical challenges. This is a global issue, and we need different local and regional solutions, which is why we have included local, national, and international cases.
— We are facing an uncertain future, making it difficult to predict what will happen. Flexible solutions that work in the short term and can be adapted for the long term are therefore crucial. We must learn to live with water, as it’s coming, while also ensuring we don’t worsen climate issues, and that is not always easy. Many people have already experienced — or know someone who has experienced — the effects of climate change, and they understand that action is needed. It’s been rewarding to see so many professionals, including landscape architects and urban developers, working intensely on radical and intelligent solutions. Some of these offer hope and confidence in the future, while others raise new questions about what is possible and what is worth saving, how we can relocate people, and who bears the responsibility.
— It will require radical thinking, collaboration, and new communities to protect ourselves from the water. Water knows no boundaries — neither property lines nor national borders — so cooperation and understanding that we must adapt to the conditions set by water will be key. We hope the exhibition sparks conversations and debates on this important topic, Stockmarr concludes.
