On the outskirts of Copenhagen lies a curious and idiosyncratic sight; Brøndby Haveby, a collection of houses nestled inside a grid of perfectly circular greenery, as if beings from another world created a captivating space for a community.
Captured above by photographer Hendry Do, a recent series of images show just how unique the site truly is, with the warm glow of the sun shining over the luscious green landscape creating a mesmerising view. “I didn’t plan on capturing this place at all, it happened completely by chance. I was visiting the capital with my wife and ran into a few Danish citizens that were interested in my photography. They told me to check out Brøndby Haveby, since it was built a while ago. I was not disappointed! It was very unique, like a whole pizza with each slice as a home!” Henry told Lonely Planet.
The Garden City was built in 1964 when the municipality of Brøndby signed off on the creation of the getaways. According to Henry, the design is based on the layout of typical Scandinavian villages that date back to the 10th century. Landscape architect Erik Mygind came up with the circular design as a way to promote a sense of community, and the houses are typically rented between April and October by city-dwellers who wish to get a taste of country life. There are rules in place governing the use of the houses, many of which are simply used as sheds or storage facilities.
"The reaction to the shots was amazing. I was very lucky, the light was perfect, as were the conditions. Copenhagen has a lot of rainfall, so for me to be able to shoot this with clear weather was unbelievable. Seeing this place from an aerial perspective was really great as well. While, driving, Brøndby looks just like any typical neighbourhood around the world. It’s only when I took the camera above and flew it around, that my perspective changed,” Henry said.
The collection of images racked up over 40,000 likes on Instagram, proving that the gardens are equally mesmerising to people outside of Denmark.
More of Henry’s work is available at his official website.
