Ski on a roof of a waste-to-energy plant

Amager Bakke / Copenhill is a waste-to-energy plant with a roof that doubles as a skiing destination in Coppehnagen.

BIG architectural studio came up with the concept. The studio is the brainchild of Bjarke Ingels, famous for his unique, sustainable, and community-driven projects.

When the waste-to-energy facility is completed in 2017, it will process 400,000 tonnes of waste per year with 99% energy efficiency — water, metal, and even ash will be recycled. It will provide district heating for 160,000 homes and electricity for 62,500 homes.

“Instead of considering Amager Resource Center as an isolated project, we mobilize the architecture and intensify the relationship between the building and the city — expanding the existing activities in the area by turning the roof of the new Amager Resource Center into a ski slope for the citizens of Copenhagen. We propose a new breed of waste-to-energy plant, one that is economically, environmentally, and socially profitable,” explains the architectural team to Big Think.

Visitors can ski all year round on artificial slopes with three different levels of difficulty. In addition, there will be a terrain park featuring forest areas, hike trails, climbing walls, and possibly a mountain bike trail.

”It is a multi-purpose plant that is already catching the eyes of the world because of its local appeal. The plant provides energy and waste treatment, and will be an architectural landmark and a leisure facility. The novelty of the project is the combination of ingenious technology and innovative architecture in a project dedicated [to the] local community,” says Ole Hedegaard Madsen, director of technology and marketing at Babcock & Wilcox Vølund to Big Think