The hi-tech WTE plant in Copenhagen, expected to open this summer, will also feature a ski slope

The designers' goal was to redefine "the relationship between the waste plant and the city."

The designers' goal was to redefine "the relationship between the waste plant and the city."

An old waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Copenhagen is taking new life, as the building is being renewed and a new, sustainable and more environmental friendly energy plant will take its place. The Copenhill / Amager Bakke plant will be equipped with two furnace lines and a joint turbine- and generator system, turning trash into power that will fuel the city's grid, but will generate less CO₂ than the former plant. Located in an industrial area that has throughout the years turned into an extreme sport destination for thrill seekers (such as cable wake boarding, go-kart racing, rock climbing), the roof of the new plant will be turned into a ski slope for the citizens, where it will be possible to ski all year round. The building was redesigned by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), a Danish firm that won the International Competition in 2015 and is being constructed by Amager Ressource Center (ARC). The project is expected to be finished this summer, with the aim that the new plant will intensify the relationship between the building and the city, while a recreation area with water sports, soccer fields, and a go-kart track will surround it.

More details on the sustainable building and the slope

A 500m-long ski slope will be created on the roof of Amager Bakke plant, offering four levels of difficulty to accommodate skiers with a broad range of experience, from novices to pros. The slope will be ecological, upending the convention of the energy intensive indoor or alpine ski resort and is expected to be used by around 57,000 people during the first year. Access to the ski paths will be through an elevator adjacent to the smokestack, which will feature a glass wall facing the interior of the plant, in order for the visitors to see the internal workings. Apart from the slope, the roof will also function as a real mountain, with green forest areas, hike trail, climbing walls, a viewing plateau, and will host an almost 900 m² (9,537 ft²) climbing wall, which will be the tallest in the world.

The building will be gently wrapped with a continuous façade made out of stacked aluminum bricks, having openings so that daylight can reach the deep process hall and the administration space. These bricks also function as planters, creating a green facade and turning the building into a green mountain. Another interesting fact is that the plant’s smokestack is modified in a way to puff smoke rings whenever 1ton of fossil CO₂ is released, meant as a reminder to people of the impact of consumption.

Source: BIG

Images Source: Business Insider & BIG