Copenhill Power Plant, Denmark
CopenHill, also known as Amager Bakke, is a power plant located on an industrial waterfront in Copenhagen, Denmark, that is capable of converting 440,000 tons of waste into clean energy annually. It was designed by BIG to double as public infrastructure, and is complete with tree-lined hiking trails and ski slopes on its roof along with the "tallest artificial climbing wall in the world" on its facade. Aligning with Copenhagen's goal of becoming the world’s first carbon-neutral city by 2025, the scheme embodies Bjarke Ingels’ idea of ‘hedonistic sustainability’ ; a notion that a sustainable city is not only better for the environment, it is also more enjoyable for the lives of its citizens.
By proposing a new breed of waste-to-energy plant, one that is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable, the facility becomes part of the city and redefines the relationship between production and recreation, between energy infrastructure and social infrastructure, between factory and city. Inside it is filled with "the latest technologies in waste treatment and energy production", capable of incinerating 440,000 tons of waste to make clean energy that will deliver electricity and district heating for 150,000 homes annually. The building also houses ten floors of administrative space for the ARC team, including an education center for academic tours, workshops, and sustainability conferences.
The project also includes the highest viewing plateau in the city and a tree-lined hiking and running trail designed by SLA. This green roof also helps create a biodiverse landscape that simultaneously absorbs heat, removes air particulates, and minimizes storm water runoff. The design for the 41,0000-square-metre CopenHill "ski plant" won an international competition in 2011, with the building breaking ground two years later. CopenHill was opened in October 2019.
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