Higher Grounds

A project by Anne Molenaar

Anne explored case studies across all nine partner cities, each highlighting unique rooftop projects. Her project features interviews with key individuals who played pivotal roles in developing or programming these innovative spaces within their own cities. Preference was given to publicly accessible rooftops with greenery, but due to the diverse climates, cultures, policies, and architectural styles of the partner cities, a wide variety of rooftops were included.

The aim of this project is to inspire and support others in initiating their own rooftop ventures and to foster a network of rooftop developers across Europe. This network provides a platform for sharing inspiration and practical advice.

Below you find a short summary of the interviewee’s and their rooftop projects:

  1. Antwerp: Adje, initiator of PAKT, one of the largest rooftop farms in Europe.
  2. Amsterdam: Jan Henk, director of Rooftop Revolution, featuring a green rooftop with 7 trees on an apartment building owned by a house-owners association.
  3. Barcelona: Jaume, from Et Posem Verda, together with his colleagues he promotes and creates green rooftops in Barcelona.
  4. Belfast: Gareth, an architect with Urban Scale Interventions, proposed the idea of transforming the rooftop of Portview Trade Centre.
  5. Chemnitz: Susan Einhorn, an architect working for the municipality, led a team in developing a rooftop schoolyard atop a school building.
  6. Faro: Enrique, Chairman of Ambifaro, highlights the former rooftop community garden project run with a disabled children’s association. Now, Ambifaro plans to repurpose the space into an accessible public area.
  7. Gothenborg: Torbjörn, a cultural producer at Frölunda Kulturhus that organised a range of events on the rooftop of the cultural centre.
  8. Nicosia: Hayriye, Communications Officer at Home 4 Cooperation (H4C), presenting their rooftop in Nicosia’s demilitarized buffer zone, a venue for cultural events aimed at uniting both sides of the divided island.
  9. Rotterdam: Friso, director of Dakdokters Studio, responsible for the design and technical integration of Hofbogenpark, a 2-kilometre stretch of an old railway viaduct that will be transformed into a public park.

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