New Aquatics Centre, Copenhagen’s Waterfront Development, Danish Architecture Images

New Aquatics Centre on Copenhagen’s Waterfront

Culture and Health Building Development Denmark design by Kengo Kuma & Associates and Cornelius Vöge

13 May 2019 ; 16 Jan 2018

New Copenhagen Waterfront Aquatics Centre

Architects: Kengo Kuma & Associates and Cornelius Vöge

Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Kengo Kuma & Associates, in team with Cornelius Vöge, Søren Jensen engineers and Niels Sigsgaard, wins architect competition for New Aquatics Centre on Copenhagen’s Waterfront

A unique waterfront cultural centre with harbour baths, which will offer iconic architecture, facilities for leisure and sports associations and unique water experiences: now, a unanimous jury have selected Japanese architect firm Kengo Kuma & Associates, in team with Danish architect firm Cornelius Vöge, Søren Jensen engineers and architect Niels Sigsgaard, as the winner of the architect competition for Paper Island’s future waterfront cultural centre.

Kengo Kuma & associates, in team with local architect Cornelius Vöge, Søren Jensen engineers and architect Niels Sigsgaard, has won the competition with a project that combines a waterfront culture centre, facilities for leisure and sports associations and harbour baths in a new and original way. At the same time, the project creates a unique connection between land and sea and genuinely fulfils the city of Copenhagen’s vision of bringing something completely new and unique to Copenhagen and Paper Island.

“Sometimes you need to look far and wide to find exactly what you are looking for. There is no doubt that Japanese company Kengo Kuma’s vision for a waterfront cultural centre is world class and that it will bring something completely new to Copenhagen but which also fits in with the aesthetic of the city. With this waterfront culture centre, both Copenhageners and visitors to the city will be given a unique waterfront experience in the heart of Copenhagen. In the years to come, Paper Island will be a meeting place for the public – aided by this waterfront culture centre!” says Lord Mayor Frank Jensen of the Social Democratic party.

The City of Copenhagen would like Paper Island’s future waterfront culture centre to be world class, which is why the municipality launched an international architect competition in 2017 for the culture centre, which is supported by the Nordea-fonden with DKK 2.1 million.

“With tiled pyramids, which hover on lightweight glass structures, the winning project will both stand out from and fit perfectly in with the master plan for Paper Island. The building will be rich in details, which will be an experience in themselves, regardless of whether you go inside the culture centre, are visiting Paper Island or looking at it from a distance. With unique swimming pools both inside and out it is a long time since we have presented a building that can contribute so much to the city and to all Copenhageners,” says the Mayor of Technical and Environment Affairs Morten Kabell (Red Green Alliance).

The complete renovation of Paper Island will start at the beginning of 2018 and is expected to be completed at the end of 2021, when the building of the new waterfront culture centre is also expected to be completed.

“With Kengu Kuma’s ambitious project, Copenhagen takes yet another step into the world of water culture, providing Copenhageners with an even broader palette of indoor and outdoor water experiences. The centre can be used by both leisure associations and individuals, and for the first time we are combining free outdoor swimming in the harbour with indoor swimming in a culture centre and swimming baths. It will be a unique building for Paper Island, which Copenhageners as well as visitors to the city will get a lot of pleasure from,” says Mayor for Culture and Leisure Carl Christian Ebbesen (Danish People’s Party).

“As hoped, the architect competition has given us a winning project that is world class. It will be a new landmark for Copenhagen and a fantastic framework for the city’s residents and leisure associations,” says Chairman of the Board for Nordea-fonden Mogens Hugo.

Finalists
• Kengo Kuma and Associates (Japan) with subcontractors
Cornelius Vöge architectural company (Denmark), Søren Jensen consulting engineers (Denmark) and consulting architect Niels Sigsgaard (Denmark).
• Bjarke Ingels Group with sub-consultants COBE, an architectural company, SLA landscape architects, Hundsbæk & Henriksen landscape architects, Danish Energy Management & Esbensen, a consultancy company in energy and sustainability, the Danish Technological Institute, acoustic consultants Gade & Mortensen and the artistic collective A KASSEN.

Other Prequalifying Entrants
• AART with subcontractors CUBO architects, GBH Landscape Arcihtects, EKJ Consulting Engineers, the artistic collective AVPD and Mikkel Knowles Gjelstrup, advisor.

• ALA (Finland) with subcontractors Masu Planning, Petteri Nisunen Architects, Studio Octopi architects, Bluet Oy Ltd., architectural and engineering consulting.

• 3xN with subcontractors Tredje Natur, architect company, Rambøll consulting engineers, artistic advisor Wallner Weiss and advisor Casper Peter Risby Mortensen.

Facts about the Competition
• The steering committee that has assessed the applicants is made up of experts from the Culture and Leisure Administration and the Technical and Environmental Administration of the City of Copenhagen, together with a representative from Nordea-fonden and advisors from COWI.

• The architect competition has handled proposals for an up to 5,000 m2 new waterfront culture centre with swimming and leisure association facilities, a promenade and a harbour baths on Paper Island.

• The architect competition is an international EU tender, meaning that teams from all over the world have had the opportunity to take part.

• The jury is made up of: Lord Mayor of Copenhagen Frank Jensen, Mayor for Culture and Leisure Carl Christian Ebbesen, Mayor of Technical and Environment Affairs Morten Kabell and Mogens Hugo, Chairman of the Board for Nordea-fonden, together with an expert panel consisting of Lars Steffensen and Reiulf Ramstad.

• Funding for the forthcoming waterfront culture centre is not yet finalised. The City of Copenhagen will discuss the funding in connection with the budget plan for 2017. Realisation of the ambitious waterfront culture centre will require financial support from charitable foundations.

Nordea-Fonden
• Nordea-fonden has a non-profit and charitable purpose. Every year, the foundation donates DKK 500 million to projects that promote a healthy and positive life within health, exercise, nature and culture. Among those projects that have received support from the foundation are the Circle Bridge and the student residences, Tietgenkollegiet.

Dialogue with Copenhagen Residents
• Copenhageners have had an ongoing influence on the future appearance of Paper Island. In spring 2015, the City of Copenhagen held a contest to find ideas for the new cultural and leisure function of the area, where 160 proposals were submitted by the city’s residents. The City of Copenhagen chose to continue working on some of the winning suggestions, including establishing a swimming facility.