Copenhagen | White Shining Objects by Shjworks

 Copenhagen: The largest object with the busy street in the foreground.

Copenhagen | White Shining Objects by Shjworks

Text and images by Simon Hjermind Jensen from Shjworks

“We do not know”, was the common answer to the passersby, given by Shjworks while they were installing the project and were asked what it was. And it was true; Shjworks could not exactly tell what it was.
They knew the project consisted of five white shining objects placed along a stretch of 400 meters in the suburb of Husum just outside Copenhagen. They knew the objects would be illuminated from dusk till dawn, and they knew the height of the objects would vary from 4,2  to 0,6 meters. They also knew the project was the winning entry for a competition about urban spaces, arranged by the Copenhagen municipality. Together with the objects they included 7 benches, 3 planters, and 95 step stones.

Above: each object consists of CNC milled shells sewn together with steel wire; right: the second largest object, 3.7 m. tall. Below: The three small objects with the 3, 7 m tall object in the background.

The stretch, where the objects are placed, is a long and narrow area with the suburban character of being in between a wasteland and a park. At one end of the stretch is a busy street, where the largest object is placed, and at the other end, where the smallest object is placed, is an old public school that has been transformed into a cultural community center.
Shjworks had many intentions and thoughts concerning the project, and they could not give one clear answer, because the project deals with wayfinding, placemaking, evocative lights, white sculptures with a smooth shining surface, and urban spaces for recreation.
Each object is made of 2-4 mm. thick polycarbonate sewn together with 1 mm thick steel wire. And all the objects are asymmetrical and unique in shape and size. The largest object is 4,2 m tall and the smallest one is 0,6 m tall. Inside each object is a lamp, which is connected to the street light and thereby turns on and off at the same time as the street light.

Above: The three small objects with one of the seven “Copenhagen” benches.
Below: The three small objects illuminated at night time.

Some of the questions and comments from the passersby were whether the objects were some kind of eggs. Maybe eggs from the future because of their shiny surface? Or that the silhouettes and asymmetrical shapes of the objects evoked associations to stones: could it be stones placed for rituals, similar to the ancient stone circles?”
As mentioned in the beginning Shjworks could not tell exactly what it was, but they were very pleased with the attention, questions, and comments from all the passersby. They were pleased because this attention and wonder was exactly one of their intentions with the project. Although they were creating an urban project with qualities of wayfinding, place-making, evocative lights, and recreational functions, at the same time they were also creating a project that raised questions about the project itself and the origin of the objects.
Shjworks believes that urban spaces should not only offer functional possibilities but also appearances that raise questions and reflection. “To receive answers is great, but to ask questions is even greater. It raises awareness and knowledge about ourselves, our next generations, and our environment” says Simon Hjermind Jensen from Shjworks.

The largest objects at sunset.

All photos, courtesy of Simon Hjermind Jensen/ SHJWORKS.