Pulsparken

Pulsparken turns climate adaptation into potential for training, exercise and play. The 24,000 m2 park is part of the urban renewal in the neighbourhood Bolbro in Odense and functions as climate adaptation as well as an activity park with plenty of opportunities to get your heart rate up. Juul Frost Arkitekter’s ambition is for parks, nature and green areas to make a difference, regardless of whether you need a mental break or to get your heart rate up.

Rainwater management as a recreational potential

Juul Frost Arkitekter has designed the new rainwater and activity park for the Bolbro neighborhood. The park complements the area’s existing green spaces and invites residents to relax and engage in physical activities within an unrefined and dynamic setting. Pulsparken was conceived as an extension of the Christians Park housing development, comprising 10,500 m2 of housing divided into 138 apartments, with green communal areas interspersed between the houses. This project was designed by Juul Frost Arkitekter for the Barfoed Group, and together with the new city park, it revitalizes Bolbro.

A fundamental requirement for the park’s design was that it be integrated into Bolbro’s rainwater management system. Around two new rainwater basins, a footbridge with living stairs and a viewing deck have been constructed, transforming rainwater management into a source of relaxation. The surplus soil from the excavation of the lakes is repurposed as hills in the landscape, adding to the park’s spatial diversity.

Exercise, training, and play for all ages

The park features an obstacle course and various activity zones designed for informal training, exercise, and play. The wide range of facilities ensures that the park provides opportunities for physical activities of varying intensity, duration, and caters to different muscle groups and age groups.

The park’s pathways offer routes with different perspectives and experiences. The paths have varying surfaces, accommodating various users, including walkers, runners, cyclists, and roller skaters.

From a closed space to an open neighborhood park

During the transformation from a closed area to an open park, Juul Frost Arkitekter emphasised that Pulsparken should “draw attention to itself” through its new appearance and connections. This is why the color red is a recurring theme in the park, evident in fixtures, plantings, and pavement in the form of an obstacle course, resembling a “red carpet.”

The area’s large trees are preserved but pruned, and the dense undergrowth is trimmed to open up the space. The openness, coupled with lighting, including intelligent lighting, ensures that the park is safe for everyone, day and night. A diverse range of plantings, both on land and in water, supports biodiversity and offers different nature experiences throughout all seasons. The ambition is to create an open and inviting park that caters to the entire community.