10 Dogmas: Beyond Urban Leftovers with Alberto Roncelli

06/19/24 • 13 min

Over the past 50 years in Copenhagen, as in many other European cities, the area between the old city centre and the suburban periphery has undergone significant development, resulting in a diverse range of urban typologies and mixed functions. This rich and ongoing transformation has created a considerable number of neglected and underutilised spaces. Often due to their unusual spatial conditions, limited dimensions or outdated building regulations, these spaces are today left untouched and unloved, seen as natural and inevitable by-products of urban development.

Considering contemporary challenges such as densification, Alberto Roncelli explores the potential of these spaces as key components of resilient development. Part of the Nordvest neighbourhood in Copenhagen has been selected as a pilot area and used as a case study for mapping and design exploration.

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Beyond Urban Leftovers with with Alberto Roncelli

In recent years, Copenhagen has seen an intensification in the debate over urban expansion, with controversial projects such as Fælledby and Lynetteholmen at the forefront. Amid these discussions, there has been a growing focus on the potential and methods for increasing density within the existing cityscape.

In 2017, a coalition of developers, construction companies, architects, and ecologists urged the City of Copenhagen to systematically utilize the vast untapped spaces within the city. According to Dagbladet Politiken, an open letter from Dansk Byggeri, Bygherreforeningen, Akademisk Arkitektforening, Det Økologiske Råd, and Drost Fonden highlighted the potential to create 22,000 new homes by utilizing these overlooked spaces under Copenhagen's rooftops.

This podcast serves as a significant intervention in this public conversation. Listen to Alberto Ronchelli, Architect & Circular Design Specialist at GXN, as he challenges conventional views on urban "leftovers"—the unused and underused spaces within the city. Ronchelli presents his project, "The Grafted City," which maps 25,000 m2 of leftover space in the Nordvest neighborhood. This discussion covers:

The reasons behind the existence of these spaces
Strategies for utilizing these spaces
The concept of viewing these spaces not as isolated entities, but as part of a broader ecosystem or network of unused areas

This is the first episode of "10 Dogmas," a 10-part podcast series designed to push the boundaries of architectural thinking. In this series, we invite ten leading architectural studios to critically examine and challenge ten core dogmas that currently dominate architectural practice and consensus. In this inaugural episode, we explore the concept of "urban leftovers" and explore innovative possibilities that extend beyond this prevailing dogma.

10 Dogmas is produced by Copenhagen Architecture Festival and presented in collaboration with VELUX and their Build for Life initiative, which reconnects people and the planet through healthier, more sustainable buildings.