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.

Antwerp: Adje, initiator of PAKT, one of the largest rooftop farms in Europe.

One of the, if not the most outstanding rooftop in Antwerpen is PAKT. PAKT is a complex of old warehouses, somewhere between the heart of the city and the old military hospital (green quarter). The warehouses provide an office space for a variety of companies, but most importantly, on the rooftop an urban agriculture project is located.

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Amsterdam: Jan Henk, director of Rooftop Revolution, featuring a green rooftop with 7 trees on an apartment building owned by a house-owners association.

Jan Henk Tigelaar is the director of Rooftop Revolution, a mission-driven organization based in Amsterdam dedicated to bringing nature back into urban spaces by transforming rooftops. Rooftop Revolution advises roof owners on the best rooftop solutions for their buildings, organizes local initiatives in various cities, and collaborates with local governments on rooftop mapping and policy formulation […]

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Barcelona: Jaume, from Et Posem Verda, together with his colleagues he promotes and creates green rooftops in Barcelona.

Barcelona is a densely populated city with rising property prices, hot summers, and limited space for greenery. However, the city has 170,000 hectares of unused rooftop surface. Transforming these spaces into green areas for people makes perfect sense, according to Jaume Ferret Tintó. Jaume works for Et Posem Verda, where he and his colleagues promote and create green rooftops in Barcelona. […]

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Belfast: Gareth, an architect with Urban Scale Interventions, proposed the idea of transforming the rooftop of Portview Trade Centre.

Portview Trade Centre, located in East Belfast, was initially constructed as a spinning mill in the early 1900s. This building was ahead of its time, notable for employing women and integrating both traditional and innovative technologies. […]

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Chemnitz: Susan Einhorn, an architect working for the municipality, led a team in developing a rooftop schoolyard atop a school building.

Near the centre of Chemnitz, you find the primary school “Südlicher Sonnenberg”. It is the first school in Chemnitz with a school yard and garden on top of the building. Susan Einhorn, an architect who works for the municipality of Chemnitz, was the main initiator of this project. Together with her team, she (re)develops urban buildings, especially schools and kindergartens. […]

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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.

Experience the dynamic essence of Faro’s community as we sit down with Enrique, the chairman of Ambifaro, the municipal enterprise that brings the city’s market and much more to life. Under Enrique’s leadership, Ambifaro manages essential city functions such as mobility and paid parking, while also spearheading cultural and recreational events. […]

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Gothenborg: Torbjörn, a cultural producer at Frölunda Kulturhus that organised a range of events on the rooftop of the cultural centre.

Frölunda Kulturhus is a cultural center in a suburb of Gothenburg. It’s a location for a great variety of cultural events such as dance, theatre, cinema, workshops and exhibitions. The building also houses a swimming pool, sports halls, meeting rooms and a library. It was opened in 1980 and up until recently the rooftop was unused. The building is owned by the municipality of Gothenburg. […]

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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.

Nicosia, the capital city of Cyprus, stands as the last divided capital in the world, its historical center is split into two halves since the United Nations intervention in 1975. The city’s division is marked by the infamous ‘green line,’ a demilitarized buffer zone maintained by the UN that cuts through the heart of the capital from east to west. […]

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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.

Friso Klapwijk is the director of Dakdokters Studio, a design firm founded in 2010. Dakdokters emerged from a vision to transform underutilized urban rooftops into green spaces, promoting biodiversity and healthy city environments. One of their most notable projects is the redevelopment of the Hofbogen in Rotterdam. […]

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