Remember the Copenhagen’s Bastioned Fortifications? Israels Plads sits where they once stood. The city ended here. Protective walls and a no-build zone defined this space.
Israels Plads has transformed over time. It became a vibrant market square. But in the 1950s it turned into a lifeless car park. Cars dominated this central plaza.
The northern part of Israels Plads was once called Hundetorvet. It means Dog Square. People walked their dogs here. There was a fountain too. In 1913 it became part of the market.
In 1889 a vegetable market opened at Vendersgade. It was named Grønttorvet. Market activities had stopped at Christianshavns Torv. Grønttorvet means Green market.
Grønttorvet closed in 1958. The new vegetable market opened in Valby. But the name stuck. People still called it Grønttorvet.
Israels Plads got its current name on October 11 1968. This marked the 25th anniversary. It was the anniversary of Nazi persecution of Jews in Denmark. The naming was a city marking of the transport of Jewish Danes from Nazi-occupied Denmark to free Sweden.
Today Israels Plads is a lively public space. It is for leisure culture activities and public events. The cars are gone. They are now underground.
Look at the ground. The plaza’s surface is elevated. It’s like an urban carpet. The cars have been swept underneath.
Notice the connection to Ørstedsparken. Trees and water flow from the park into the plaza. City and nature blend here.
The mission house Bethesda faces Israels Plads. Architect Ludvig Knudsen completed it in 1882. It was built for the Inner Mission.
Other buildings around the square are apartments. They were built for the upper middle class. This was in the 1870s and 1880s. Julius Bagger designed 1–5 Rømersgade for Hellig-Hansen. He was a developer. The buildings have rich stucco decorations.
Two market halls stand on Israels Plads. They are each 50 meters long. Each hall is 24.2 meters wide. They stand parallel. There is an open-air market in between. Hans Peter Hagens designed them. The market halls opened in September 2011.
You can find many groceries here. Open-faced sandwiches are sold here. Meat products are also available. Seafood mozzarella chocolate dragée and ice cream can be bought too.
Until 2014 the southern part was asphalt. It was used for parking. Sometimes there was a flea market.
In 2008 a design competition took place. Cobe won. The design idea is a flying carpet. The granite surface rises. It offers seating. It hides the underground car park.
There are skateboarding areas here. A streetball cage is also available. Three schools use the space. They use it during breaks.
Cloudburst water is handled here. It flows to an artificial creek. It goes to a water reserve in the park.
Israels Plads was an Archdaily 2018 Building of the Year Award Finalist. It was in the Public Architecture category.
So remember Israels Plads. It is a place of history transformation and vibrant life. It is a space for everyone.