I spent a few hours yesterday in the Ørestad area of Copenhagen, trying to get some shots in the bag of one of the "new" areas of the city. It's been a long time since I was here last, and I was quickly and starkly reminded of just why.
What an absolutely depressing place. Most areas of Copenhagen have some sort of character or vibe - for good or ill - but Ørestad just doesn't. Its a soulless husk, seeming more like a warehouse to store people when they don't have better places to be. The area has been under development for almost 20 years now, and it stil feels utterly barren.
The most exciting thing I saw was probably a blue public toilet that kinda had a TARDIS thing going on. A poop TARDIS - that's the sort of titillating experiences you can find in Ørestad. There are no little shops, no cafés, no real traffic, no people on the street having intimate conversations that are way too loud for comfort. The guy on the bike here I had to wait 25 minutes for, because there's just no one out there doing anything other than trying to escape to places more interesting.
It must be nice to live close to the Kalvebod Commons so you can go wave at cows and stuff, but I think I'd probably end up on pills or booze if I had to spend every day of my life out here in this bleak urban wasteland.
Part of the problem is that there’s a giant shopping mall out here, which has essentially killed local commerce. No commerce, no urban life. Other new developments in Copenhagen have fared better because - aside from not having a giant goddamn mall - they have proximity to existing communities. Something like the new development in Nordhavn I think is going to fare much better, as there is already a vibrant urban community just across the train tracks. But Ørestad is too far from the Amagerbrogade area to really benefit.
I intensely dislike this part of the city, but I am glad I went out there again, because its a reminder of all the things I love about photographing the city, because they're all missing from the Ørestad area. It will be a long time before I go back here again.
A lone - very lone - rider at the Belly Sky hotel.
The Poop TARDIS.
The Thunderdome/Royal Arena.
