Commons of Care

Abstract

Commons of Care is situated in Skydebanehaven Park within the post-renewal district of Vesterbro in Copenhagen, Denmark. As part of the chair of Public Building, the project plays on the two aspects of everyday life that concern the public as participants: commons and care, material and immaterial, goods and services. Implicit in the title is an acceptance that forms of care (daycares and elderly-care centres) are common goods. Care as a resilient urban marker provides a framework that concerns the marginalised multitude of the city, namely the immigrant (“newcomers”) and elderly (“late-agers”) populations in the city. The design is guided by four principles (cure, curation, collectivity, connectivity) that suggest multiple interventions for realising the aspiration for a public condenser. The concept of care legitimises coexistence between multiple communities where accessibility and inclusivity become benchmarks for a renewed definition of liveability in Europe.
CARE: Guided by the principle that welfare ties to wellbeing and excludes no one.
CURE: Providing relief for the those in need, cure offers a support network.
CURATION: The verb “to care” derives from the Latin ‘curare’ which is inscribed etymologically in the word “to curate”.
COLLECTIVITY: Cure and curation come within a collaborative framework of shared identity: assemblage, togetherness, solidarity, belonging.
CONNECTIVITY: Offer new opportunities in the city that connect to people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalised.