The 2019 CANactions International Architecture Festival focused on an exploration of a notion of "Hromada" — Ukrainian name for the 'community', which is embedded into the country's historic and cultural codes and reflected in contemporary social movements and architectural forms.
Architect Illya Rastvorov is one of the winners of this year’s CANactions Youth Competition presented in Kyiv, Ukraine. For his proposal, the architect transformed the railroad depot of the Copenhagen Railway Station in Denmark into the “Copenhagen Playground”, a recreational area that caters to people of all ages and enhances the social conditions of the city.
The assignment was to reuse an abandoned building complex of the railway depot, and create a sports recreational zone. Abandoned railway zones are often linked with negative social conditions, which is why the architect felt the need to revitalize the area with new community facilities, improving its social conditions.
The site consists of a flat surface with 9 parallel tracks and 21 old railway freight cars. Each car was renovated, distributed onto different tracks, and assigned a unique function. Kids playgrounds and hazardous areas were fenced for extra precaution, and certain elements on site were equipped with stairs, ramps, and transitional areas. The overall plan of the complex includes a parking area, a playground, a sports grounds, a food court, and an interactive section.
The sports recreational area serves to be a point of attraction for all age groups and interests. Art installations can be displayed in the space, whereas the car-scene offers an area for music, theatre, and other performances. To add a sense of curiosity and discovery to the project, the architect chose to create a tunnel under one of the trains, giving visitors the chance to wander about and discover how the rail cars look like from below. Regardless of the site’s raw and industrial atmosphere, the architect made sure every area of the project was built with utmost safety and security for every type of visitor.
CANactions is an educational platform which integrates the most relevant world experience in the sphere of architecture and urbanism to educate and inspire responsibility active change makers. Since 2008, the festival has become the biggest educational event in the sphere of Architecture and Urbanism in Ukraine and neighboring countries. Winners of the Youth Competition are offered Master’s degree scholarships and a 6-month paid internship in the MLA+ Offices in Rotterdam.
