The CopenHill Building: More than just producing clean energy
The city of Copenhagen pledged to be the world's first carbon-neutral city by 2025. In order to meet this goal, the Danish capital is undergoing major changes in every way.
It is no longer just about raising public awareness, radically changing its infrastructures or practicing more sustainable urbanism. Buildings play an important role and must be designed respecting the environment, but, in turn, must meet other needs in an intelligent way.
This is where the CopenHill. A old incinerator that has been modernized no longer just for produce energy to supply the city, but also conceived as a playful space for the inhabitants of Copenhagen.
The entire building is striking, from its dimensions (A 41,000 m2 project that includes an urban recreation center and an environmental education center) to an impressive 500-meter-long sloping green walkable roof (See manual green roofs) or an envelope futuristic made with large aluminum planters 1.2 m high by 3.3 m wide, stacked like gigantic bricks superimposed on each other.
The building (Amager Treatment Plant) is located 6.5 kilometers from the city center and was designed by the architecture studio BIG whose challenge was important … How to make a waste incineration plant popular and useful to the neighborhood?
To light up the concept of the building and its architecture, we provide a simple outline of the initial idea and its development by the studio …
With 7,000 shrubs, 300 pines and willows, as well as other varieties of plants, CopenHill's connection to nature is assured.
Under the slopes, the furnaces, the steam and the turbines 440,000 tonnes of waste are converted and recycled annually, enough clean energy to supply electricity and heating to 150,000 homes.
Despite its recent opening, it has already made room for how iconic architectural of the city of Copenhagen and a compulsory visit point for all tourists.
CopenHill, has become one of the most original artificial ski slopes in the world that has been built so far. Instead of snow, it is made of Neveplast, a synthetic material used in dry snow park and ski facilities.
The roof has a slope that varies between 45% in the steepest part and 14% in the lower floor. Due to the dimensions of the building, different areas and levels of difficulty have been built; from beginner space to black track.
The complex has a path that runs parallel to the track leading users to the upper area where you can also find a restaurant or a gym. And as if that were not enough, there is also the highest artificial climbing wall in northern Europe.
The studio that created the project, Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) Its creative approach is that sustainability is not incompatible with fun. This ski slope ends up being the perfect culmination: not only is it looking for a sustainable energy source for the city, but also raising awareness and making everyone enjoy themselves.
The renovated waste-to-energy plant aimed to become an exemplary model in the field of waste management and energy production, as well as an architectural landmark.
By the way, another interesting project in the city of Copenhagen is the article on how to convert an industrial crane into luxury spaces.
If you liked this article, share it!
