BIG to Design Danish Energy Plant-Cum-Ski Slope

Danish firm Bjarke Ingels Architects (BIG) has won an international competition to design a new Kr3.5bn ($644m) waste-to-energy treatment plant that doubles as a ski slope in Copenhagen, Denmark.

A notable aspect of the treatment plant is its winding roof transformed into a 31,002m² artificial ski slope made from a recycled eco-friendly synthetic to reduce cooling loads.

The roof will feature two large sky light apertures to provide a window into the workings of the waste treatment plant.

The building’s exterior will feature a vertical green façade with planters stacked like bricks and the surrounding land transformed into a recreational park.

The waste treatment plant will also be sustainable, incorporating a modification to the smokestack that will release smoke rings into the sky, activated whenever 1t of fossil CO2 is released.

The waste-to-energy plant is slated for completion in 2016, according to fastcodesign.com.