En have designet af børn for børn

Bygherre: Københavns Kommune
Design: 3. v, Valby Skole i samarbejde med lærer Marie Jensen
Idé og procesledelse: landskabsarkitekt Helle Nebelong
Entreprenør: Familie- og Arbejdsmarkedsforvaltningens Center for Erhvervsrettet Træning
Areal: 551 m2
Anlagt: 2000
Location: Kraks Kort side 157 J6

Har børn et forhold til havekultur?
Kan de, der tegner fremtiden, tegne fremtidshaven og derigen­nem markere årtusindskiftet?

Spørgsmålene stillede Køben­havns Kommune til skolerne i Kgs. Enghave og Valby i maj 1999. Der indkom syv spændende og tankevækkende forslag. Ét markerede sig særligt ved at være stærkt livsbekræftende og således markere en smuk overgang til det nye årtusinde.

Forslaget var designet af Valby Skoles daværende 3. klasse. Det blev udført i 1:1 og indviet godt 1 år efter, at skolerne første gang var blevet kontaktet.



Årtusindskiftehaven rummer en dunkel og skyggefuld junglesti med udfordringer og et lyst, blomsterrigt og hjerte­formet område, hvor man kan mødes med sin kæreste. De to kontrastfyldte 'verdner' er adskilt af en sø med springende fontæner, men er også forbundet af en bro.



Haven rummer fine detaljer som f.eks. en kærestesti med frierstole, en gammel, overbegroet træstub og et kærestepar, som egentlig skulle have været Mickey og Minnie Mouse. Imidlertid var det Disney-koncernen imod, at man tog de to berømte mus ud af deres 'rette sammenhæng', som begrundelsen for afslaget lød.

I stedet fik eleverne i 3. klasse på Valby Skole som en ekstra opgave at tegne et helt andet kærestepar, og af mange kreative forslag blev 'Pussi og Mussi' udvalgt og realiseret i solide egetræsstammer af kulturhåndværker Henrik Andersen.

Havens fem års fødselsdag i 2005 blev fejret på behørig vis. I foråret 2005 blev haven 'adopteret' af den daværende 3. klasse på Valby Skole. Eleverne stod for den første forårslugning og tilbage i klasselokalet blev der malet 14 farvestrålende blomstermalerier, som blev udstillet i haven søndag den 7. august 2005 i forbindelse med det årlige 'Fokus på haven'-arrangement i Valbyparken. Københavns Kommune fik til lejligheden udført et fint postkort med alle børnenes malerier. Det blev solgt af børnene til 2 kr. stykket. Pengene gik til elevernes klassekasse.



Børnenes Årtusindskifte Have er et godt eksempel på, hvor positivt processen med at inddrage børn kan forløbe. Der har været tale om et kort forløb præget af entusiasme og synergi.

KORT PROCESS HURTIGT RESULTAT

Marts 1999:
Idéen om en årtusindskiftehave opstår.

Maj 1999:
Vej & Park i Københavns Kommune henvender sig til skolerne i Valby og Kgs. Enghave Bydele med følgende spørgsmål:
Har børn et forhold til havekultur?
Kan de, der tegner fremtiden, tegne fremtidshaven og derigennem markere årtusindskiftet?

Juni 1999:
Valby og Ålholm Skole ønsker at deltage.

Aug. 1999:
Procesleder besøger skolerne og præsenterer konkurrencen for de klasser, der vil deltage.

Okt. 1999:
Procesleder besøger skolerne. Eleverne fra tre klasser præsenterer i alt syv forslag. Styregruppen for Temahaverne i Valbyparken er dommerkomiteen, som udpeger vinderforslaget.

Nov. 1999:
Konkurrenceforslagene udstilles på Valby Bibliotek. Indvielse v/ Bygge- og Teknikborgmester Søren Pind, der overrækker præmier.

Dec.99–feb.2000:
Vinderprojektet omsættes til detailtegninger og udbudsmateriale i Vej & Parks anlægskontor. En ekstra tegnekonkurrence om havens kærestepar kommer oveni!

Marts 2000:
Licitation. Entreprenør udpeges.

April-juli 2000:
Anlægsperiode. Eleverne besøger haven.

August 2000:
Indvielse af Børnenes Årtusindskifte Have

English summary:

The Children's Millennium Garden

In the European Culture Year the biggest ever garden exhibition, Garden Culture 1996, took place, with 17 newly planted theme gardens being made in Valbyparken in the southern part of Copenhagen.

A steering group was set up with representatives from landscape and gardening organisations, local councils and the Department of Parks.

The steering group is working on a strategy, which will lead the gardens into the new millennium, with watchwords like ”renewal” and ”development”, but the aim is also to preserve the best of the original gardens.

In 1999 Copenhagen municipality asked the state schools in the local area to take part in a competition about the Children's Millennium Garden, a new theme garden in Valbyparken.

The schools were asked:

Do children have a relationship to or interest in garden culture. Can they, who will design the future, design a garden of the future, and thus celebrate the millennium? Today, we know the answer is ”Yes”.

Although the children are on the brink of a new millennium, which is characterised by a fast technological development, they do have a relationship to garden culture. Fortunately!

It was a year 3 class from Valby School, which won the competition.

They designed a garden, which is split into 2 different areas. One part of the garden is full of shadows and has a jungle-type character. The other is a garden full of light and flowers.

There is a heart-shaped path and small nooks with love seats. Here you can meet your loved-one and be romantic. A lake separates the two halves of the garden, but the two worlds are connected by – or linked together by - a bridge over the water. The bridge, and all the life-strengthening thoughts, which lie behind this suggested garden, symbolises a fine crossing to the new millennium.

The children's model of the garden was transformed into architectural drawings and the construction work got under way. At the beginning the children couldn't recognise their garden design, they were surprised to see, that so much work had to be done, before the garden was finished.

The realized garden is very close to the children's ideas and design. They wanted a mushroom table and mushroom chairs. So the concrete mushrooms were found in a private garden, and the owners were pleased to give it to the children's garden!

The only wish, that couldn't be fulfilled, was the children's idea of a couple of sculptures of Minni and Mickey Mouse. The Walt Disney Company wouldn't allow it. So the children made their own couple, which fits the garden much better.

The garden was opened in the summer 2000, where all the children with their families and the public in general were invited to a big party. The Major of The Building and Construction Committee, and a famous singer joined the opening ceremony with the children.

The result was fulfilling. Everyone was very happy and had a good time. The children are very proud of having made their own garden and they visit the garden with their teacher every year to help tend the garden.

Description of the process:

May 1999:
The Roads and Parks Department write to all the state schools in the local area requesting participation in a competition to design a new theme garden in Valbyparken. The schools were asked:
Do children have a relationship to or interest in garden culture?Can they, the potential designers of the future, design a garden of the future, and thus celebratethe millennium?

June 1999:
Two of the schools wish to participate

Aug. 1999:
The project manager visits the schools and presents the competition to the participating classes.

Oct. 1999:
The project manager visits the schools for the second time. The pupils from three different classes present seven suggestions in total. The jury selects the winner: a year 3 (10 year olds) class from Valby School.

Nov. 1999:
The seven suggestions are presented to the public at an exhibition at the local library. The mayor is invited, makes a speech and presents the prizes.

Dec.99–Feb.2000:
The model of the winning proposal is translated into architectural drawings.

March 2000:
The construction work begins.

April-July 2000:
The winning class visits the garden, which is under construction .

August 2000:
Inauguration. A big public party is held with all the children and the mayor invited.