Amerika Plads

Amerika Plads (lit. "America Square") is a public square and surrounding neighbourhood in the Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the result of a redevelopment of an area in the southern part of the former Freeport of Copenhagen into a mixed-use neighbourhood which consists of dwellings, offices and retail establishments, combining converted historic buildings and modern architecture. The former Free Port Station building was put in storage during the redevelopment and is now located in the middle of the square where it serves as a café. The area is to the west bounded by Kalkbrænderihavnsgade, part of a major thoroughfare, and to the east by Dampfærgevej connected to Kalkbrænderihavnsgade in both ends and separating Amerika Plads from America Quay, the western quay of the Southern Free Port dock. The name of the area, like that of the quay, is a reference to the large passenger ships which used to transport Danish emigrants to New York City during the first half of the 20th century.

Dating from circa 1903, the name Dampfærgevej (English: Steam Ferry Road) refers to the steam ferries to Malmö which used to berth on the north side of the area. The Copenhagen-Malmö link was founded as a joined venture between the Swedish and Danish state railways in 1895 in connection with the opening of the new free port in Copenhagen. The Amerika Plads neighbourhood is located in the former steam ferry terrain. The route was discontinued in 1974.

In 1986, the premises were taken over by DanLink which operated a cargo line on the route Copenhagen-Helsingborg until 30 June 2000 when it closed due to the opening of the Øresund Bridge.

Due to the area's attractive location on the border between Østerbro and the City Centre and near some of the most expensive addresses in Copenhagen, it was decided to redevelop the area in the late 1990s. It happened as a joint venture between Port of Copenhagen (now CPH City & Port Development) and private development companies TK Development and Sjælsø Gruppen. In 2000, Port of Copenhagen commissioned Dutch architects West 8 to draw up a masterplan for the transformation of the area. The aim of the plan is to create a dense and active urban environment with multiple functions and diverse architecture. As part of the masterplan, the new buildings all have interior courtyards that are accessible to the public, unlike those in the older parts of the city, so as to expand the street areas and create life and movement between the buildings.

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