Copenhagen first earned its reputation as a green city after achieving its carbon neutrality goal in 2025. Since then, the city has been dedicatedly investing in sustainable projects and incorporating nature into its urban planning. One project that goes above and beyond is CopenHill, which is at the intersection of sustainability, leisure, and urban design. Designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the CopenHill power plant is nothing close to a typical industrial site but instead a landmark where visitors can hike, ski, and enjoy panoramic city views.
In 2013, the municipality of Copenhagen planned to replace the old Amagerforbrænding with a new waste-to-energy plant that could compete with the best in the world. However, many locals criticized the project and argued that constructing an incineration plant would affect the air quality and negatively impact the environment. BIG designed CopenHill with two objectives in mind: minimize the plant's negative impact while creating a recreational area, which is at the heart of the Amager Bakke Waste-to-Energy Plant.
While power plants are typically crude industrial structures, CopenHill combines the city's environmental ambitions with an accessible and interactive destination. The rooftop sports center features a 490-meter ski slope, the longest slope in Denmark. The ski slope begins with a terrain park, a freestyle zone, and then snow entirely out of special plastic fibers that are as strong as steel and provide a similar ride to snow, day or night. If you are not up for skiing, the plant has a climbing wall, a rooftop running trail, and a restaurant with views of the power plant's inner workings.
But CopenHill's attractions extend beyond the sports activities. The plant reduces CO2 emissions by 99 percent compared to fossil-fuel-fired power plants, which is equivalent to heating up to 60,000 homes in the city. The plant also recycles 90 percent of the city's metal waste and harnesses that energy to feed the local grid, providing electricity and district heating to nearly 150,000 Copenhagen homes.
The sustainable design extends beyond utilizing its waste-to-energy functionalities. From the start, the architects added a façade that minimized the plant’s visual impact on the surrounding area while reducing noise pollution. A large glass façade at the plant's front visually showcases its inner workings, alongside interactive screens that give visitors real-time information on the plant's operations and the number of households powered by its energy-efficient procedures. The façade's colorful, patterned tubing also reflects its industrial home environment, emphasizing the building's origin without compromising its visual appeal.
CopenHill has brought an excellent invigorating effect to Copenhagen, serving as the perfect embodiment of the city’s sustainability aspirations. The plant has become a popular destination for people of all ages, including families, ski enthusiasts, and even architects curious to explore the sleek waste-to-energy plant. The plant generated enough energy in 2020 to provide electricity and heat for the city's annual Christmas Tree and ice-skating rink at Frederiksberg. It's a clear indication that the plant perfectly integrates into the city's cultural life without compromising the environment.
CopenHill is a waste-to-energy plant that doubles as a leisure destination in Copenhagen, Denmark, designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). CopenHill provides electricity and district heating to nearly 150,000 Copenhagen homes while reducing CO2 emissions by 99 percent compared to fossil-fuel-fired power plants.
Bjarke Ingels, the founder of the Bjarke Ingels Group, designed CopenHill.
CopenHill's rooftop sports center features a 490-meter ski slope, the longest slope in Denmark, alongside other activities such as a climbing wall, a rooftop running trail, and a restaurant with views of the power plant's inner workings. The waste-to-energy functionalities minimize the plant's negative impact on the environment while providing electricity and heating to nearly 150,000 Copenhagen homes.
CopenHill has become a popular destination for people of all ages, including families, ski enthusiasts, and even architects curious to explore the sleek waste-to-energy plant. The plant has also generated enough energy to provide electricity and heat for the city's annual Christmas Tree and ice-skating rink at Frederiksberg.
