How could we improve upon an already sustainable mode of transport in one of the greenest cities in the world?

Over one third of people living in Copenhagen commute to work or school by bicycle, and bicycle ownership in the city is upwards of 90%. While cycling in Copenhagen is widely used and acknowledge as a step towards sustainable living, there remain problems in the lifecycle of the bicycle. In Copenhagen alone, approximately 13,000 bicycles are abandoned each year.

“When you have reached your fifteenth year,” said the grand-mother, “you will have permission to rise up out of the sea, to sit on the rocks in the moonlight, while the great ships are sailing by; and then you will see both forests and towns.”

Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid

What if old and abandoned bicycles were reintroduced back into the sustainable ecosystem of Copenhagen? We propose to transform the old bicycles into a wind farm, harnessing the natural resources of the city while making use of what would otherwise be wasted resources. Deconstructing the bicycle into its basic elements; its frame and its rims, the individual parts are reassembled into a tree like structure. Each rim is then fitted with polycarbonate fins to catch the wind, thus allowing the disused bicycle to be readapted for use as a windmill. 

Our design would visually transform Copenhagen Harbour and the setting for the Little Mermaid. Like branches and leaves on the tree, each wheel would spin and sparkle against the wind and the sun, creating a strikingly animated addition to visitors of the Little Mermaid in Langelinie. 

Location
Copenhagen, Denmark

Status
Competition

Typology
Installation, Public

Year
2014