Amager Bakke, also known as Amager Hill, is a household waste-to-energy plant designed by architect Bjarke Ingels Group to house a recreational centre on its roof (Copenhagenill). Commissioned in 2017, it incinerates the waste of more than 500,000 residents and 45,000 businesses each year, generating heat and electricity for almost 150,000 homes. The building has 43,000 m2 of floor space and stands 85 m high. Equipped with the latest technology, the facility is exceptionally efficient and produces far more energy than the previous waste-to-energy plant it replaced.

To enable this configuration, the first of its kind in the world, Artelia Denmark harness all its experience in designing multi-purpose plants. Creating a roof that is both flexible and robust, capable of supporting a ski slope (with a ski lift), a municipal park (with trees) and various sports facilities (climbing wall, trail course, hiking area) required the design of an adapted steel structure and the use of special steels. Already picked up the Tekla Global BIM Award for its use of digital tools, this project was awarded the European Steel Prize for its “ambitious vision for how a green energy plant can be combined with recreational areas that encourage adventure, play and movement”.

Photo credits: Rasmus Hjortshøj Architect BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group