ECO PIONEERS
SKI POWER
Who says factories have to be ugly? Magali Robathan fi nds out more about a green waste to energy plant planned for Denmark which doubles as a ski slope and visitor centre and blows coloured smoke rings
W
hile waste to energy plants have become an accepted fuel source across Denmark, the hulk-
ing factories themselves are often a blot on the landscape.
The 3.5bn DKK (£413m) Amager Bakke waste to energy plant planned for Copenhagen promises to be differ- ent. Providing much of the energy for the city, it will double as a ski slope for locals and will feature a visitor centre, surrounding parklands, a chim- ney blowing smoke rings and a green façade planted with foliage. The project is the brainchild of Danish architectural fi rm BIG, which won the competition to design a new waste to energy plant in January. BIG, founded by architect Bjarke Ingels, is known for its innovative projects, with completed commissions including the Copenhagen Harbour Bath, which transformed part of the city’s rundown
harbourfront into an iconic outdoor swimming pool, with a lifeguard sta- tion designed to look like a lighthouse and a diving platform resembling the prow of a boat. BIG beat off competi- tion from shortlisted offi ces including Wilkinson Eyre Architects, Dominique Perrault Architecture, 3XN and Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects. The plant, which is due to open in 2016, will replace the nearby 40-year- old Amagerforbraending factory. It will integrate new technologies in waste treatment, providing heat and energy for much of Copenhagen. Waste to energy plants, which burn
rubbish that would otherwise be sent to landfi ll to generate electricity, are now used to provide the majority of the heat and power for the city.
THE BIG IDEA
“When you build factories near to a city centre, it’s usual to spend money on trying to make them look attractive,”
says David Zahle, BIG partner and the project leader for Amager Bakke. “In this case, instead of just focusing on cladding the factory in a nice façade, we decided to see if we could activate the available budget to give something back to the people of Copenhagen. Instead of spending on gift-wrapping, we wanted to spend on the gift.” The gift is, of course, the ski slope. When coming up with a design for the new power plant, Zahle and his team were keen to create something of value for locals. The ski slope idea came from the necessary size of the facility, which at 100m-high will be one of the tallest buildings in Copenhagen. “In Denmark, we have a very cold cli- mate which provides us with snow, but we have no mountains. There is nowhere to ski, so we thought why not use this tall building to create a ski slope?” says Zahle. “The project was already ecologi- cally and economically sustainable,
The factory will feature a 500m-long ski-slope and will offer visitors views of the city
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ISSUE 2 2011 © cybertrek 2011
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