Playing and frolicking across the rooftops of copenhagen
19. October 2020
Public space is a scarce commodity in the big cities, even in Copenhagen. Especially in the trendy district of Bellakvarter with its “Bella Center” – an exhibition and convention centre – there was no suitable spot for a playground between the buildings. This led the architectural firm Elverdal to decide, without further ado, to make use of the city’s abundant roof space. CONIPUR PG and CONIPUR 2S from CONICA lay the basis for safe, functional and visually appealing sports and play areas.
Bellakvarter is in the Ørestad district of Copenhagen. The quarter is barely twenty years old and still under construction. One formative element is the Bella Center Copenhagen, one of the largest congress, conference and exhibition centres in the city. Despite its international appeal, the district should remain attractive to those who live there. This calls for sufficient public space for play, sports and leisure activities. Given the lack of space at ground level, authorities decided to utilise the abundant roof space available. The result was the “Aktivitetstaget Bella” multifunctional outdoor space. A basketball court, a hundred-metre-long running track and a number of training stations were constructed at a height of seven metres. In addition, there is a diversely equipped playground situated on the ground floor, which is directly connected to the roof via a 16-metre long slide. The Bella activity roof is open to everyone.
The architects stipulated a whole range of requirements for the flooring materials to be used in this demanding project. They had to be robust and durable, non-slip, easy to clean and seamless. Furthermore, they had to offer a great deal of freedom in terms of the colouring options and, of course, comply with all relevant EU regulations. The choice: a combination of CONICA CONIPUR PG and CONIPUR 2S.
CONIPUR PG and CONIPUR 2S – a perfect team
The water-permeable CONIPUR PG fall protection system was specifically developed for outdoor children’s playgrounds. In the standard version, its rubber granulate is 30 mm thick. A 12-mm-thick top layer of CONIPUR EPDM granulate was placed on top. The layer thickness can be varied depending on the fall protection height and stability to be achieved.
CONIPUR 2S is used, above all, in multipurpose areas, such as school sports areas and athletics tracks. The water-permeable system consists of a top layer of EPDM granulate and a base layer of recycled rubber granulate. The result is less expensive than a pure EPDM layer, yet offers similar benefits. The total layer thickness can be individually adjusted. The layer material meets the applicable international standards – such as the IAAF specification or DIN V 18035-6 – and is quickly dry again after a rain shower, so making playtime possible once more. The 24 available colours can be combined at will.
Light colours as the deciding factor
The architectural firm wanted surface areas in very bright colours, divided by white lines, to make the surroundings as inviting and lively as possible. This ultimately tipped the scales in favour of CONIPUR Systems with their many bright colours and high UV stability.
Organising the deliveries along with the planning and installation efforts during the Covid-19 quarantine were other challenges that were also met. Since the summer of 2020, this young and trendy district has added one more attraction to its repertoire, which is also available to all social sections of the population.
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