Water park-pyramid on Paper Island for hygge worshipers

/ Architecture /
In December 2017, the Kengo Kuma & Associates office won the competition for the development of a new coastal cultural and entertainment center in Copenhagen - as part of the development of the territory of Christiansholm Island, which is also called the "Paper Island" - Paper Island.

The building, which will be built on a corner plot of the embankment, consists of several truncated pyramids and will be home to a cultural and research center, an art gallery, several pools for sports and recreation.

The design, proposed by the architects of the Japanese bureau Kengo Kuma & Associates, is based on the study of the history of the influence of water on the urban environment and life in Copenhagen. Water cascades, steam, the play of light and shadows - in the cone-shaped buildings of the Waterfront, they have the main role.

Having given the buildings of the Waterfront a pyramidal shape, Kengo Kuma plays with the shape of the area allocated for development. It also solves the issue of access in an original way - the water center will not have blind facades, there are entrances from several sides and terraced stairs going down to the pier. An impressive feature is the covered galleries-swimming pools between the pyramids, which seem to float in the air. Visitors will be able to "swim" from one pyramid to another. 

Several pools will be located right on the embankment

An open-air swimming pool and gardens will be located in the center of the pyramidal structures

In the design of the exterior and interiors, bricks of natural tones, which are characteristic of traditional Danish crafts, will be used.

The roofs, cut off the tops of the pyramids, will be used for commercial purposes, for restaurants, offices and even elite housing.

Until 2013, Kristiansholm was a residence for Danish newspapers, printers and publishing houses. But now Paper Island is turning into a public space open to city residents and tourists. Only the Experimentarium City science center and Copenhagen Street Food (a permanent fair with street food) together attract more than 350 visitors annually, and with the opening, their number will increase significantly.

The project of the Waterfornt cultural center resonates with the philosophy of the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, who promotes the integration of natural elements into architecture and maximum interaction with the environment, and also corresponds to the hedonism of Danish hygge.