Have you noticed how making use of roof tops have become the new big thing? From the rise in sky bars across the world and parks at the tops of buildings, think Sky Garden in London and urban farms on roofs including one right here in Østerbro (more on this later in the week), everyone in Copenhagen seems to be getting in on the act over recent years from private apartments to offices in the centre of the city. Muuto’s showroom being a prime example of this, if you are lucky enough to visit there, the views from the seated area on their roof across the city are amazing.And who can blame us? There are many open spaces in this city but more private open spaces are at a premium. Shared backyards are often very functional and don’t get a lot of direct sunlight in many cases and few apartments have balconies, although outside Frederiksberg this seems to be changing. But the tops of many buildings are crying out to be used. Cast your eyes up in my neighbourhood in Østerbro and you will spot the signs that roofs have been made into small gardens or hang out spots, and this seems to be a recent thing. Instagram is full of views taken from either legitimately safe roof areas or places where residents have climbed up on  to flat roofs to see the city from another perspective and to catch as much of the late evening sun as possible.

It seems there is a public database where you can find out how much weight per square metre a building’s roof top can take and if it is safe so this seems to be making new spaces open to residents, I am sure after going through all the proper channels. I am just sad we don’t live in a flat roof building!