But the ambitions went further.
Instead of building a classic industrial building – a square concrete block – the new plant’s design was to contribute positively to the city, become part of the city, and even to be a landmark of the Capital. Copenhagen – just as all metropolises of the world – is growing, so the ambition was to utilise the rooftop for recreational purposes and give access to the public.
Based on these ambitions, among others, an architectural design competition was launched in 2010, and of 36 bids submitted by architects from all over the world six were prequalified; the winning bidder BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group – was awarded the contract in January 2011 with their bid: Copenhill.
In March 2013 the first sod was turned, in May 2017 energy generation started, and in October of that year the first staff members moved in.
Today, Copenhill is finished – ready to receive guests and visitors from the Capital and the world.
ARC is the developer of the Copenhill building, making its rooftop available to the Amager Bakke Foundation that is establishing the recreational facility. Copenhill A/S is the operator of the recreational facility.
In 2010, they received the first bids on what Copenhill would look like once finished. Well, here it is!
Renderings by BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group, Photos by Christoffer Regild.
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Did you know?
Copenhill has a waste pit with a capacity of approx. 22,000 tonnes corresponding to approx. 3 weeks’ supply of waste
More than 99% of all the energy contained in the waste is released during incineration
The air that is needed for the incineration process is sucked from the waste pit, preventing odours to be released to the surroundings
During normal operation, Copenhill generates 2.7 MWh of district heating and 0.8 MWh of power for each tonne of waste treated. In 2018, the energy generation covered the power consumption of 30,000 households and the heat consumption of 72,000 households
Copenhill has a flexible design, so the production can be adapted to the current district heating needs of Copenhagen
Copenhill is the first incineration plant in Denmark to have a catalytic converter for NOx treatment (so-called SCR-system) ensuring extremely low values compared with other Danish plants
The environment is protected by having at Copenhill one of the most efficient flue gas cleaning facilities of the world, among others with more than 95 percent removal of Nox, two independent systems for dioxin treatment, and several steps for the removal of HCl and SO2
Did you also know?
Copenhill is built with a ski slope of around 370 metres with a drop height of 75 metres. The ski slope consists of four pistes established with different levels of difficulty: Two green (15 and 18% gradient), one green/blue (15-23% gradient), and a black/red (23-45% gradient). The pistes have been designed with the assistance of MountainWorks, Colorado, and David Ny (Sweden).
Three magic carpets and a plate lift transport the skiers to the top.
It will also be possible to try out a 670 metres’ stair race and to enjoy the running and trekking trails on the hill inspired by the mountains in Norway and Sweden.
The roof terrace and the café are located at 75 metres’ height.
The look-out point is found 82 metres up, offering you the best view of the city.
Copenhill has the world’s tallest climbing wall of astonishing 80 metres. It is divided into four pitches with climbing routes ranging from 5a (easy) to 8a (really hard)