Daylight gives us an understanding of where we are in the world and of the spaces, we find ourselves in every day. The ‘Poetic Daylight’ pavilion, unfolds the spatial qualities of daylight, where the perceptual, aesthetic and poetic potential of daylight can be experienced in a series of spaces.
Architecture is only given meaning once we interact with it. The concept of the pavilion ‘Reflections in Common’ is materialised in the design, which allows people to look at themselves against the backdrop of the city, and is a reflection space for the World Capital of Architecture 2023.
PARTNERS:
Municipality of Copenhagen
Urgent Agency
Standard Practice
Grønne Hjem
SUPPORTED BY:
BEVICA Foundation
Inside the pavilion, experience yourself, the city, and its nature from a new perspective. Take the time to stop. Take on a new perspective and take the reflection with you. Come back another day and experience how the atmosphere of the pavilion and the city change throughout the seasons. The mirror cabinet highlights the importance of reflection and self-reflection in the creation of a more sustainable city development.
When the year is over, all of the elements from the pavilion will be reused and the plants will be planted around Copenhagen.
The partnership behind the pavilion represents all parts of the construction value chain – from manufacturers to consultants and artisans.



“‘Reflections in Common’ is located at the beautiful and rather busy Kongens Nytorv. In the middle of traffic, workplaces, cafés, tourists and historical buildings, the pavilion will hopefully inspire Copenhageners and tourists to take a pause, bring new perspectives on the city, and be a reminder of Copenhagen’s human centered approach to planning and architecture. I also hope that the pavilion will reflect the fact that we all need to contribute to the solutions to reach our sustainability goals“

Camilla Van Deurs
City Architect, City of Copenhagen

AFTERLIFE
All the elements in the pavilion will be reused and the plants will be planted around Copenhagen.
OTHER PAVILIONS
The Greenhouse
A space inviting entrepreneurs, visitors and the local community to reconnect with nature and learn the importance of nurturing ecosystems for current and future generations.
OBEL AWARD: unPAVILION
The unPAVILION is a statement piece – that prompts curiosity, debate, and reflection on our contemporary and future uses of resources. It also points to the counterproductive nature of greenwashing.
Tower of Wind
A monument celebrating sustainable architecture, in which the public can experience a journey through the history of meteorology.
The Raft
A sensory structure landing on one of Copenhagen canal’s floating platforms, aiming at offering visitors a direct and playful sensorial experience with the water.
(P)RECAST
Investigating the role of precast concrete in sustainable equitable urban development. Is it possible to reuse the building components of these buildings in new construction, minimizing resource consumption?
From 4 to 1 Planet
How do we reduce climate impact from residential buildings to a fourth of the current level without compromising on attractivity and liveability?
Find three different answers to this question in our three pavilions, developed by next generations architects.
Bricks in Common
The brick pavilion ‘Bricks in Common’ brings our attention to this double bind: brick has a potentially long lifespan – it is, however, also a very energy-consuming material to produce. If we want brick to play a larger part of the sustainable development, we need further innovation, development, and more design for disassembly.
Plastic Pavilion: Building Sustainable Societies
Future building materials need to be sustainable, meaning that they are reusable or recyclable, and preferably made from recycled content. Many of the synthetic materials, plastic, and other polymers have these properties while at the same time being durable, lightweight, cheap, and easy to shape.
Living Places Copenhagen
Living Places Copenhagen – the first seven prototypes of the concept, show how we can develop sustainable buildings with a three times lower CO2 footprint and a first-class indoor climate. The concept holds the lowest CO2 emissions in Denmark, demonstrating that we do not have to wait for future technology to build more sustainably
Feed Back
Different lenses on food systems. The pavilion uses virtual spatial design to guide the audience through an exhibition that explores the content of the publication in a gallery-like experience. Users take part of the exhibit space by using their own mobile devices through virtual reality features.
Bio-centre
Architects Without Border’s pavilion is an interpretation of one of their actual development projects, the “Bio-Centre”. Through basic sanitary functions, a bio-center provides crucial services in a densely packed slum – while creating a social focal point.