On Jan. 5, international architecture firm SLA and the waste-to-energy power plant, Amager Resource Center, unveiled the final design for a ski slope and rooftop park that will sit atop the center's Bjarke Ingels–designed building in Copenhagen, Denmark. The 170,000-square-foot rooftop park—originally masterplanned by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG)—will feature a 1,640-foot-long ski slope (designed by BIG) in addition to hiking and running trails, shelters, climbing walls and street fitness equipment, overlooks, and playgrounds.
According to a release by SLA, designing a green rooftop park on top of a 300-foot-tall industrial plant came with its own challenges, such as landscaping on a steep slope, addressing windy climate conditions, handling the heat produced by the plant's boilers, and managing the safety and security of the park. After testing and experimenting with different types of vegetation and materials, the SLA design team selected various biotopes that create a microclimate that can withstand harsh weather conditions and provide wind shelter.
“The rooftop’s nature is designed to attract and shelter a wide selection of birds, bees, butterflies, and insects, which in itself will mean a dramatic increase in the biodiversity of the area," said SLA partner Rasmus Astrup in the same release. "And utilizing natural pollination and seed dispersal will mean that we can spread the rooftop nature to also benefit the adjacent industry area, parking lots, and infrastructure ... The goal is to ensure that Amager Bakke will become an eventful recreational public space with a strong aesthetic and sensuous city nature that gives value for all Copenhageners—all year round."
BIG's Amager Resource Center was a winner of ARCHITECT's 2015 Progressive Architecture Awards.
