In a city where the arrival of cherry blossoms is eagerly awaited each spring, Zoku Copenhagen is introducing a new artistic experience: Copenhagen’s first rooftop cherry blossom garden, created in collaboration with up-and-coming Danish artist Johanne Lykke. This unique installation spans 75m² on the ceiling of Zoku’s rooftop Greenhouse and extends the natural beauty of the sakura beyond their natural season, offering a vibrant and prolonged celebration of spring.
Embracing Copenhagen’s Love for Cherry Blossoms
Johanne Lykke, a visual artist specializing in window murals, says:
"Cherry blossoms hold a special place in the hearts of many people. My artistic vision was to encapsulate their natural beauty in a way that allows for a longer, more lasting experience. The project at Zoku Copenhagen is about creating a space where art and nature coexist, offering a new way to experience the joy and serenity of cherry blossoms while overlooking the rooftops of Copenhagen."
Copenhagen’s spring Sakura Festival is a much-anticipated natural spectacle, drawing locals and visitors to admire the fleeting beauty of cherry blossom season. Johanne’s vision was to capture this essence and create a visual garden that could be admired for an extended period through her artwork.
By transforming the Zoku Copenhagen rooftop into a cherry blossom haven, this project pays homage to a beloved city tradition and allows people to immerse themselves in an artistic interpretation of spring’s beauty.
What Is Zoku?
Zoku, a new type of business hotel, provides a home base for Danish creatives. By combining smart private Lofts and rooftop Social Spaces, Zoku creates a one-stop-shop for business travelers and locals to live, co-work, meet, and play. At the core of Zoku’s mission is to create spaces that nurture the growth and connectivity of local Danish creatives. This cherry blossom project with Johanne Lykke exemplifies this commitment.
Johanne:
"Sakura is the Japanese word for cherry blossom which derives from Saku and translates to bloom or, alternatively, to laugh. Across five greenhouses at Zoku rooftop garden in Copenhagen, hundreds of cotton candy pink flowers spread the energy and welcome not only guests to the hotel but also the arrival of Spring. They are blooming now and for the next three months."
By transforming its rooftop Greenhouse into an art-inspired oasis, Zoku provides a visually stunning venue alongside a collaborative environment where creatives can connect, share ideas, and find inspiration. This initiative reflects Zoku’s dedication to crafting spaces that transcend traditional hospitality, offering a vibrant and dynamic hub where both the local community and Zoku’s residents can live, work, and socialize together.
Zoku has invented a new category within the hotel industry with its home-office hybrid concept and award-winning Zoku Loft. Opened in 2016 by Dutch entrepreneurs Hans Meyer and Marc Jongerius, Zoku is named after the Japanese word for family, tribe, or clan. Zoku facilitates international living, working, and conscious traveling for the growing population of globetrotting professionals, digital nomads, and remote workers. Its multipurpose business facilities make it a hospitality frontrunner in the future of work, providing hybrid work solutions for employees to reconnect while working-from-anywhere.
The bold concept, which goes far beyond the standard hotel proposition of 'putting heads in bed', has won numerous awards, received rave reviews from guests, and is praised for its vibrant Social Spaces, sustainability initiatives, and unique community that facilitates connections between residents and locals. Zoku achieved B Corp certification in 2018, becoming one of the first hotels in the world to receive this recognition, and was voted 'one of the 25 coolest hotels in the world' by Forbes. Zoku recently expanded to include three new locations in its portfolio of European hubs: Copenhagen and Vienna in 2021 and Paris in April 2023.
Experience Johanne Lylkke's Installation: A Limited-Time Invitation
Open to the public free of charge until June 20, 2024, this pop-up by artist Johanne Lykke art installation is a must-see. Visitors are invited to ascend to the 5th floor at Amagerfælledvej 108 (a 2-minute walk from the DR Byen metro stop) to witness this fusion of art, nature, and hospitality. As an added treat, guests can savor the limited edition Sakura Spritz at the rooftop Kindred Spirits Bar, encapsulating the essence of spring in a glass with this new take on a refreshing paloma.
About Johanne Lykke
Johanne Lykke (born 1989) is a visual artist and a graduate of The Jutland Art Academy (2015). Inspired by the tradition of stained glass, she creates hand-painted window murals that reflect colorful light once exposed to sunlight. Just like real flowers are never static, her windows are in constant change.
To Lykke, a window is the perfect canvas, because once painted it transforms its surroundings and makes you see the world in a new light. The unique combination of flowers and light cultivates a strong sense of joy and belonging to nature - what she calls “floral feelings”.
As an artist, it is her mission to spread floral feelings to help you reconnect with nature. In a time where we lack touch with the natural world, building a stronger bond with nature is more important than ever. From the hospitality industry to flower festivals, train stations, universities, and Copenhagen’s largest public square, Lykke’s window art blooms in various locations. With more than 450m² of transformed windows across Denmark, she is currently planting the seeds to expand her floral empire internationally.
