Aarhus University Park or the University Park () is a public park in central
Aarhus
Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...
,
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
. The University Park is at the centre of
Aarhus University's main campus.
As the university campus, the University Park is situated in the neighbourhood of
Vesterbro in
Midtbyen close to
Trøjborg, and the park bounded by the streets of ''Nørrebrogade'', ''
Nordre Ringgade'', ''
Langelandsgade'', ''Kaserneboulevarden'' and ''Høegh Guldbergs Gade''. The park forms part of the Aarhus University campus and figures in the
Danish Culture Canon
The Danish Culture Canon () consists of 108 works of cultural excellence in eight categories: architecture, visual arts, design, design and crafts, film, literature, music, performing arts, and children's culture. An initiative of Brian Mikkelsen i ...
for its
landscape design
Landscape design is an independent profession and a design and art tradition, practiced by landscape designers, combining nature and culture. In contemporary practice, landscape design bridges the space between landscape architecture and garde ...
. The combined park and campus has received international recognition for its aesthetic values, and the University Park has been protected by law since 1993, in order to conserve its unique design.
The University Park was established in 1933 in conjunction with the university. The campus master plan competition was won in 1931 by the collaborative scheme of Danish architects
Kay Fisker,
C. F. Møller and
Povl Stegmann in collaboration with landscape architect
Carl Theodor Sørensen who designed the park.
The park is encircled by the university buildings, including the
Natural History Museum
A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history scientific collection, collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, Fungus, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleo ...
and dormitories. It is constructed across an undulating landscape in parts of an old
moraine
A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and Rock (geology), rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a gla ...
valley stretching from ''Katrinebjerg'' in
Vejlby, in the north, to the
Bay of Aarhus in the east. The park is characterized by its
oak tree
An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the Fagaceae, beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northe ...
s, two artificial lakes, home to
water fowl and amphibians, and large open, grassy areas. A small stream runs north-south in the bottom of the valley from the amphitheatre to the lakes. The adjoining
Vennelystparken to the south, contrasts the University Park with a different terrain and fauna and mixed tree growth.
In 1949, an
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (American English, U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meani ...
was added below the main building of the university and it has become a central element in recreational activities in the park. Annually a boat race is held in the lakes between the
faculties of the university, which has become a public event.
See also
*
Vennelystparken
References
External links
C.F. Møller Arkitects article on the University Park
{{DEFAULTSORT:University Park
Parks in Aarhus