Copenhagen’s Vesterbro district, near the main train station, the historic Meatpacking area, and the inner city harbor, has long been a hub of activity—but with few green spaces to offer urban dwellers a break from the bustle. Pedestrian traffic, train tracks, and dense city infrastructure left little room for biodiversity, public relaxation, or environmental interventions in the city’s core.
Introducing a city store with urban green infrastructure
Rising above this busy urban landscape, the new IKEA city store transforms the area with a 150-metre rooftop park, native plantings, and public plazas. The project has also become Denmark’s first building to achieve BREEAM Outstanding certification, the highest rating in one of the world’s most respected environmental assessment frameworks, signaling a new benchmark for sustainable urban design.
The rooftop park, elevated 20 metres above street level, is part of a one-kilometre walking route connecting the southern part of the city to the inner core. At ground level, a new front plaza at bridge Dybølsbro introduces public amenities including a café, bike parking, and direct access to the bus terminal, linking the streetscape with the green rooftop above.
Integrating sustainability with architecture
The landscape design, led by 1:1 Landskab, relies exclusively on native trees, shrubs, grasses, and bug hotels chosen to thrive under local wind, sun, and shade conditions. Rainwater management systems and diverse plantings promote biodiversity while creating functional public amenities.
The store’s architecture also challenges the traditional IKEA aesthetic. The white, flowing facade, inspired by curtains, drapes organically over the building and interacts with the rooftop greenery. Architect Dorte Mandrup explained: “The curtain ends in a pedestal on street level where you can take a short rest in the midday sun in between the rippled folds.”
Inside, the store caters to modern urban mobility with bicycle parking, IKEA cargo-bikes, and pedestrian-friendly access, demonstrating that sustainable design and functional urban retail can coexist seamlessly.
Setting a benchmark for urban sustainability
IKEA Copenhagen’s holistic approach to sustainability has earned it the highest rating, achieving Denmark’s first BREEAM Outstanding status. Every element—from energy-efficient cooling systems to transport accessibility and ecological design—contributes to minimising its environmental footprint.
By blending retail, public space, biodiversity, and architectural innovation, the store adds social and ecological value to Vesterbro, providing a model for future urban developments that seek to combine environmental performance with public benefit.
According to Noel Wibrand, Partner & Head of Projects, the rooftop garden demonstrates that sustainability can be beautiful, functional, and socially beneficial all at once.
