Fall of the Sydhavn wall: historic graffiti site is making way for new housing

170-metre long wall Evolution going down

Copenhagen and graffiti artists will lose a piece of cultural heritage soon when the bulldozers move in to level an area of ground in the Sydhavn district of the capital ahead of new housing projects.

The 170-metre long, 15-year-old graffiti-art wall 'Evolution' near HC Ørstedsværket will be torn down so that new housing can be built on Enghave Brygge.

”Graffiti isn't permanent, but it's a shame that a massive and legal place for graffiti is disappearing,” William Hjorth, a graffiti artist who has been spraying away since 1985, told Metroxpress newspaper.

”It's a huge, cool place and there are no issues or angry people around. Copenhagen is known for this place across Europe, and during the summer people come from Italy, Germany, Norway, Spain and Sweden to paint.”

READ MORE: Hateful graffiti glorifies anniversary of police officer's murder

Too expensive to keep
Evolution is painted on the side of an old coal depot and artists have been able to ply their art legally on the inside and outside wall of the depot.

Pia Allerslev, the deputy mayor for children and youth affairs, had wanted to integrate Evolution into the developing city district when she was responsible for culture and leisure, but doing so would have ended up being an expensive affair.

”It would cost about five million kroner and there were no politicians who wanted to sign off on that,” Carl Christian Ebbesen, the current deputy mayor of culture and leisure, told Metroxpress .

No date has yet been set for the destruction of Evolution.




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