A magnificent, multifunctional green roof in Copenhagen

Belgian architectural firm JDS Architects recently completed a project in Copenhagen that features one of the coolest green roofs we've seen yet. The highlight of the Hedonistic Rooftop Penthouses project is a "missing garden" above the apartments that provides residents with a private and safe place to play and enjoy the outdoors.

The rooftop garden features a playground with shock-absorbing surface and a playful suspension bridge, a green hill which is seeded with real grass and vegetation, a lookout viewing platform, a communal outdoor kitchen and barbecue, and a sun deck. The goal of this new open-air expanse is not only to create a useful roof garden as well as a beautiful landscape for the co-op's residents.

"Usually a roof defines a final measure of any construction," write the architects. "We imagine cities where people will be the last measure of the environment."

Photos: JDS Architects