(Image: seier+seier, cc-2.0)

One of the many idiosyncrasies within Copenhagen’s controversial commune of Freetown Christiania, the “Glass House” has been described as a construction exemplifying modern “architecture without architects”.  The 85 acres of Denmark’s capital known as Christiania grew out of a former military barracks that was abandoned in 1971.  The site is home to around 850 people and in addition to pre-existing military buildings, makeshift homes such as the Glass House have added to the area’s unique character over the decades.

(Image: (Image: seier+seier, cc-2.0)

A successful social experiment or lawless drug den, depending on who you speak to, Freetown Christiania was born of a spirit of collectivism and anarchy which rejects private ownership.  Governed by the Christiania Law of 1989, the commune is a popular tourist destination and, despite riots and ongoing “normalisation measures“, enjoys relative freedom from the state.  It even has its own page on Copenhagen.com.