bjarke ingels group: BIG's amagerforbraending ski slope incinerator

bjarke ingels group: BIG’s amagerforbraending ski slope incinerator
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designboom recently visited the studio of bjarke ingels where we received the insight into the latest developments of the firm’s ‘amagerforbraending ski slope incinerator’. it is located on the outskirts of copenhagen that is densely residential, standing between the danish capital and the town of amager beyond where manufacturers can be found.

‘amagerforbraending’ aims to combine industry with living quarters, creating a new identity of our understanding of the factory, while standing as a symbol for copenhagen that unifies these opposing forces. positioned as a means of rebranding our notions of power plants–generally functional boxes that offer little excitement–bjarke ingels group takes the industrial architectural typology and transforms it into a destination for recreational activities, while at the same time, continues to carry out its intended commercial activities.

from the exterior, ‘amagerforbraending’ is wrapped in a skin of planter boxes which not only camouflage its primary function as a factory, but adds value to the massive infrastructure and general environment, offering a new breed of waste-to-energy plant. in transforming it into an alluring attraction, BIG’s incinerator expands the relationship between city and building, featuring a ski slope along its rooftop, where citizens can enjoy views of both copenhagen and amager, while engaging in physical activity.

construction on the massive building has recently broken ground, and is set to be an economically, environmentally, and socially profitable mainstay of the danish community by 2017.  see designboom’s coverage of BIG’s ‘amagerforbraending’ during its conceptual phase here.

the final model of ‘amagerforbraending’
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profile of the incinerator and its ski slope rooftop
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detail of the sloping roof which will incorporate greenery
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planter boxes will envelope the exterior of the incinerator creating a green wall
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BIG talks about the ‘amagerforbraending’ project
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various prototypes
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renderings of ‘amagerforbraending’ hanging in BIG’s studio
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image boards and concept renderings hang along the studio walls
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renderings of ‘amagerforbraending’ realized in the context of a scenographic scandinavian backdrop
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skeleton model which shows the interior of the factory
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rendering of the assembly hall
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alternative view of the assembly hall
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rendering of administration spaces
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construction on ‘amagerforbraending’ in progress
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from left to right: bjarke ingels, architect, bjarke ingels group (BIG), denmark; ida auken, minister of the environment of denmark; david kester, board director, thames & hudson, UK; wang min, dean, school of design, central academy of fine arts, people’s republic of china
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on august 31st, 2013 a round table discussion ‘design for smart growth’, organized by the world economic forum‘s network of global agenda councils took place, discussing how design and innovation strategies can be implemented into creative practices to fuel competitiveness and stimulate sustainable, economic growth.  on the panel was bjarke ingels, whose ‘amagerforbraending’ was one of the key topics of discussion.

bjarke ingels
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world economic forum in denmark which included paola antonelli as a discussion leader, patrick frick as moderator with audience members including design author john heskett
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