Copenhagen gets 13 new pavilions as Copenhagen is World Capital of Architecture

As Copenhagen is the UNESCO World Capital of Architecture in 2023, pavilions will be a part of the landscape of Copenhagen during the spring and summertime. The pavilions have been titled the SDG Pavillions after the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. The SDG Pavilions will appear in a 1:1 size ratio and will be experimental projects for the World Capital of Architecture and the UIA World Congress of Architects in Copenhagen. The explorative constructions will greet visitors at selected locations in Copenhagen, including the city’s iconic harbour area.

Each pavilion is the result of a collaboration between architects, engineers, material producers, science institutions, associations, and foundations. In their work with building the pavilions, all partners are working by asking the right questions about how we should build the future in connection to one or more of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The pavilions will present activities to congress guests and visitors throughout the summer to celebrate Copenhagen as the World Capital of Architecture in 2023.

As examples of the designed pavilions are the pavilion From 4 to 1 Plant by architects ReVærk and the design studios LOKAL, Leth & Gori, Rønnow Architects, who have made a pavilion with an initiative aimed at reducing climate impact from residential buildings to a quarter of the current level.

The pavilion The Raft, by architects Studio Coquille and Tan & Blixenkrone, will have a location at Christians Brygge and will address the challenges that rising sea levels bring to coastal cities and populations and the loss of underwater biodiversity that global warming causes.

Showcasing the latest ideas from Danish architecture studios, the SDG Pavilions are addressing how to live and build with lower Co2 emissions with people in mind. The pavilions will include thoughts on communal spaces, materials, health, food and sanitation infrastructures, and climate change in regard to designing shared environments.

Just as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals contain a complex mix of goals and sub-goals on social, economic, and environmental sustainability, the SGD Pavilions also try to provide answers to a palette of different challenges.

In accordance with the theme of the UIA World Congress, "Sustainable Futures – Leave No One Behind", all SGD Pavilions are designed to be accessible to everyone and are built with an emphasis on responsible consumption of materials with plans for recycling, reassembly or reuse after the exhibitions.

When the World Congress of Architects will take place in Copenhagen, it will happen for the 28th time. This year the theme of the congress is “Sustainable Futures – Leave No One Behind”. The congress will shed light on architecture’s potential to shape better societies and contribute to a sustainable future. The invited keynote speakers include leading global voices from the worlds of architecture, politics, science, and business. More than 10.000 professionals are expected to participate from all over the world.

The UIA World Congress of Architects is being held in connection to Copenhagen being World Capital of Architecture in 2023. Chosen in recognition of its strong legacy within architecture and innovative urban development, along with its high ambitions on climate, sustainability, and livability. The World Capital of Architecture is an initiative whereby UNESCO and the UIA have joined forces to develop and debate sustainable urban solutions for the benefit of future generations.