Superkilen: exploring the human–nonhuman relations of intercultural encounter

Superkilen is a much-lauded contemporary urban public space that has been widely photographed and the subject of public talks, articles, interviews, short films, books and awards, including the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2016. Although it was designed to improve social cohesion in the multi-ethnic neighbourhood of Nørrebro, it remains largely unresearched in how well its built form contributes to this goal. This paper provides an empirical examination of how the built form of Superkilen enables and constrains intercultural encounter. The paper begins with an exploration of literature on encounter in public spaces, and the agency of built form in mediating such interactions. The paper then presents three key findings based on ethnographic fieldwork using actor-network theory. This paper is critical of the design concept behind Superkilen, claiming that it privileged spatial representation above spatial practice. However, the findings also show how such encounters can be triangulated, shaped and programmed. It is hoped these findings will better inform urban designers in shaping public space for intercultural encounters in Western cities.