Page 62 - Best of 2016 English

Skiing on a Mountain of Waste
Copenhagen is building a waste incineration plant with steel from Salzgitter. Sounds less than spectacular, but it is an amazing idea that combines a power plant with an amusement park
Copenhagen is sure to be reporting many UFO sightings in the future, because large white rings will soon be oating towards the downtown area. ey will
come from a promontory east of the city and the harbor. is is where the power plant operator ARC is building the Amager Bakke waste incin- eration plant, which will also be Copenhagen’s highest mountain at more than 90 m. Mountain? Yes, because the power plant is planned as a fun destination, with a roof area planted with vege- tation. A magical mountain landscape will o er hiking and jogging paths and room for children to play, and the view of the city from up there should be unique. A portion of the outer wall is to be set up for climbing enthusiasts, and jungle gyms are planned on the roof for the less daring.
But the boldest project is a 31,000-m2 ski slope with four sections, each with its own li . e facilities were planned in cooperation with the US company International Alpine Design (IAD), one of the leading ski slope planners. Both amateurs and top athletes are expected to swoosh down
the slopes, and summer skiing will be possible on synthetic mats. As an added attraction, a sled run is planned a er the second bend. A smokestack will be the only outward reminder that waste is being turned into electricity here. In the interior, on the other hand, a glass elevator is to give a clear view of the area. At least this is the idea. e concept also includes that little matter with the
UFOs, which have an extremely earthly origin: An attachment on the smokestack is to convert the exhaust gases into vapor rings with a diameter of 30 m and a height of 6 m. As they rise and cool, the water should condense into a ring-shaped gas cloud and let everyone in Copenhagen know that another half-ton of carbon dioxide has just been blown into the atmosphere.
e idea of a power plant as a recreational area originated with the Danish architecture rm Bja- rke Ingels Group (BIG). BIG started a crowdfund- ing project for the smokestack addition, and 399 supporters contributed $ 29,520 with Kickstarter. Two Berlin rms for art and architecture are also involved in carrying out the project: realities:unit- ed is handling the development of the fog machine, while Man Made Land designed such features as a planted facade which blossoms in di erent colors, depending on the season. Only time will tell if
all of these plans can actually be implemented. Construction is currently still underway, including with steel supplied by Salzgitter AG companies.
e contract for the building’s steel structure was awarded to a Salzgitter customer, Züblin Stahlbau GmbH in Hosena, not far from Dresden. Züblin Stahlbau took over the factory planning, the manufacture and installation of the building’s steel structure sandwich walls with re protection classi cation, and the roof structure’s sealing and drainage. Züblin Stahlbau is also supplying and installing the smokestack for the ring UFOs.
Vision of the future: giant vapor rings over Copenhagen
62 SCANDINAVIA
Steelwork installation in lofty heights
Photos: BIG, MAN MADE LAND und TOPOTEK1