Hasta La Ideas

Danish architects Bjarke Ingels Group have won a competition to design a power plant for Copenhagen with their design that will blow smoke rings and double up as a ski slope.

The Waste-to-Energy Plant will replace the neighbouring Amagerforbraending plant and will function as a treatment facility that transforms waste into energy.

The roof of the building will be  a ski slope, accessed via an elevator running along a smokestack and providing views to the inside of the plant.

The smokestack will expel rings of smoke 30cm in diameter whenever a ton of fossil Co2 is released, acting as a signal to raise awareness of ecological issues and energy consumption amongst the inhabitants of Copenhagen.

The smoke rings will be illuminated at night by lasers that will be directed towards them.

Construction is due for completion in 2016.

See all our stories on Bjarke Ingels Group in our special category.

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Here’s some more information about the project:

BIG WINS THE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION TO DESIGN A NEW WASTE-TO-ENERGY PLANT

BIG + realities:united + AKT + Topotek 1 & Man Made Land is selected to design the new Waste-to-Energy Plant that doubles as a ski slope for Copenhagen’s citizens and its many visitors by 2016.

Located in an industrial area near the city center the new Waste-to-Energy plant will be an exemplary model in the field of waste management and energy production, as well as an architectural landmark in the cityscape of Copenhagen. The project is the single largest environmental initiative in Denmark with a budget of 3,5 Billion DKK, and replaces the adjacent 40 year old Amagerforbraending plant, integrating the latest technologies in waste treatment and environmental performance.

The shortlisted offices included Wilkinson Eyre Architects, Dominique Perrault Architecture, 3xN, Lundgaard & Tranberg Architects & Gottlieb Paludan Architects who were selected to compete out of 36 international proposals in Fall 2010. The winning team is announced by an unanimous judge panel.

”BIG’s proposal contributes to the city with something useful and beautiful. We see this creating a lot of opportunities and with this unique building, we can brand the Danish knowledge and technology to show the world our abilities within environmental and energy issues”, Ulla Röttger, Director of Amagerforbraending.

Instead of considering the new Amagerforbraending as an isolated architectural object, the building is conceived as a destination in itself, reflecting the progressive vision of a new type of waste treatment facility. The roof of the new Amagerforbraending is turned into a 31.000 m2 ski slope of varying skill levels for the citizens of Copenhagen, its neighboring municipalities and visitors, mobilizing the architecture and redefining the relationship between the waste plant and the city by expanding the existing recreational activities in the surrounding area into a new breed of waste-to-energy plant.

“The new plant is an example of what we at BIG call Hedonistic Sustainability – the idea that sustainability is not a burden, but that a sustainable city in fact can improve our quality of life. The Waste-to-Energy plant with a ski slope is the best example of a city and a building which is both ecologically, economically and socially sustainable”, Bjarke Ingels Founder and Partner, BIG.

The slope is ecological using a recycled synthetic granular, upending the convention of the energy intensive indoor ski resort. Access to the slopes is via an elevator along the plant’s smokestack providing views into the plant, giving glimpses of its internal workings finally reaching an observation platform 100m above giving sightseers an unobstructed view from one of the tallest structures in Copenhagen.

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All of this while the smokestack is modified to puff smoke rings of 30m in diameter whenever 1 ton of fossil CO2 is released. These smoke rings which are the brainchild of Germany-based art studio realities:united will form due to the condensation of water in the flue gases as they as they slowly rise and cool, serving as a gentle reminder of the impact of consumption and a measuring stick that will allow the common Copenhagener to grasp the CO2 emission in a straightforward way – turning the smokestack traditionally the symbol of the industrial era into a symbol for the future. At night, heat tracking lights are used to position lasers on the smoke rings into glowing artworks.

“Designing a façade for a building is like wrapping a gift without having to consider its content. Instead of concentrating on the wrapping paper we have instead invested our energy on creating a gift for the citizens of Copenhagen & its visitors no matter if they are adults or children, professionals or beginners. I can’t wait to ski on a base of clean and green energy with a view over the city in 2016”, David Zahle, Partner & Project Leader, BIG.

From a distance, the entire building is wrapped in a vertical green façade formed by planter modules stacked like bricks turning it into a mountain from afar. The surrounding topography is sculpted by Topotek 1 & Man Made Land to form a park which offers informal sport activities in summer and winter. Along its western border a field of hills will mimic a mogul piste. A path system throughout the park interconnects the whole site and creates good connections to the neighboring residential area.

Information

Project: Waste-to-Energy Plant
Client: Amagerforbraending
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Budget: 3,5 BL DKK; 650 MIO USD, 460 MIO EUR
Status: 1. Prize
Architect: BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group
Collaborators: Realities:United (Smoke Ring Generator), AKT (Façade & Structural Consulting), Topotek 1/Man Made Land (Landscape)

Building: 95,000 m2
Landscape: 90,000 m2
Roof + ski slope: 32,000 m2
Façade area: 74,000 m2
Administrative + Visitor center floor area: 6,500 m2

Partner-in-Charge: Bjarke Ingels, David Zahle
Project Leader: Brian Yang
Team: Jelena Vucic, Alina Tamosiunaite, Armor Gutierrez, Maciej Zawadzki, Jakob Lange, Andreas Klok Pedersen, Daniel Selensky, Gül
Ertekin, Xing Xiong, Sunming Lee, Long Zuo

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Hafjell Mountain Hotel by BIG	8 House by BIG	Holmenkollen ski jump by JDS Architects

This multi-purpose sports hall by Parisian studio AP 5 Architects has shutters in the facade to open the lower part of the building.

Called La Halle du Robin, the top part of the rectangular building is clad in larch batons, with the exception of one side, which is clad in wood and clear polycarbonate panels.

The lower portion is made up of Corten steel panels, 9 of which can be opened up and secured by steel cables.

The architects intend the appearance of the building to change over time, with the steel turning a deep red colour and the wood darkening with age.

Photographs are © T. Guyenet unless otherwise stated.

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The following information is from the architects:

LA HALLE DU ROBIN
Robin Sports Center Hall

Transform the box according to events or seasons. River running in the valley of the Plaine near the town center.

Next to the various buildings, the shape of the frame is based on the lean-to and utilitarian buildings in the vicinity. The roof inclination of the Sports Center is the same as the nearby petanque club’s forming a harmonious whole.

The roofing is of an average height of 4,5 meter. It is supported by a white lacquered steel frame covered with thin strips glued together. A large wooden cantilever portico is maintained by small metallic poles on the other three sides.

A waterproof layer made of steel tanks on the roof and of polycarbonate and larch sheets over the entire upper part of the building.

The façade is covered with wooden lath to shield it from wind and sun. The lower part of the structure is in corten steel sheets over a steel frame closing the building.

The equipment can be moved around from a room to the open space based on needs and seasons. When it is cold the building is shut when there are large events or in warm periods, 9 front panels are opened so as to allow free circulation and open view on the scenery.

This open space configuration makes it easy to see the river and to open up indoor activities outside. The doors are opened and kept open by gas spring struts and secured with a stainless steel cable.

A large sliding door is the final part of the existing building that allows a wide opening of the building on the outside during events.

The simple shape of the building changes with the moveable façades, the materials change appearance and the facing adapting to orientation all changing with the seasons.

The wood and the metal sheets are all from local origin. The gradual evolution of those perishable materials will change the outside aspect of the whole building.

Above photograph is courtesy of the architects
The wood will turn gray and the metal sheets orange. The façades will bear the mark of time.

Above photograph is courtesy of the architects

Materials
Frame: glued strips, galavanized steel + rustproof white paint
Siding: corten steel sheets, polycarbonate and larch panels

Intervenants
– AP 5, Architect and landscaping agency
Architect: Stéphane Lemoine,
Architect collaborator: Toshiharu Kudo

– Team AP 5 with bet 2C (structure, economist), Ouest coordination (construction site)

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– Contractors Section 1: Grennevo, shell / Section 2: Haas Weissrock, structure / Section 3, roofing / Section 4: Mellé, locksmithery /

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Site: Raon l’Etape (department 88)
Program: Space for multiple purposes: Sports training center hall

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Size: 300m2 (3229 sq ft)
Client: Township association of the Vallée de la Plaine
Type of mission: full mission conception and build

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Architect: AP5 architects
Cost: 0.3 million euros
Year: 2010

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Sports centre by Batlle i Roig Arquitectes	Football Training Centre Soweto by RUFproject	Prefabricated Nature by MYCC

Following our stories about football training centres this week, here’s a selection of stories from the Dezeen archive that feature buildings for sport. See all the stories »

Canadian practice RUFproject have completed a football training centre in Soweto, South Africa, with wooden louvres wrapping the upper parts of the structure.

Designed in conjunction with Nike Global Football Brand Design, the exterior walls of the rectangular building are rendered in local sandstone.

The upper part of the building overhangs the lower, providing shaded areas for players between matches.

Located on the ground floor, the gym and catering area face the pitch and have moveable screen façades, opening them up to the field.

The facility comprises two full-sized pitches, two smaller ones, a clubhouse, player lounge, offices, viewing deck, gym and changing rooms.

Photographs are by Julian Abrams unless otherwise stated.

More buildings for sport on Dezeen »

The information below is from RUFproject:

Football Training Centre Soweto

Situated in the heart of Soweto, the Football Training Centre is the centre of football in South Africa, where 1200 teams and 20,000 footballers play each year.

In less than 6 months, the facility was transformed into a state of the art football training centre – the first of it’s kind in Africa, and the rest of the world.

Designed by the Canadian firm, RUFproject in conjunction with the Nike Global Football Brand Design, the facility encompasses 2 new full sized artificial pitches, 2 junior turf pitches, new lighting, a clubhouse & player lounge, an education facility for the Grass Roots Soccer & Life Skillz program, a Training Gym, Physio & First Aid facility, a Product Trial, Catering, Administrative Offices, Viewing Deck and new Change Rooms.

The Clubhouse & Player’s Lounge house regular and in-depth tips and insights from Nike Athletes & Coaches and a place for coaches and players to focus on the tactical and strategic aspects of the game.

The concept was to create a clear but intricately woven relationship of spaces, linking the programmes of the facility visual and physically through “cuts” in the solid mass of the rectangular structure.

Each room has views to and from other areas of the building which creates an intricate and selective transparency between functions.

The facility has been design from the outset for and around the player, supporting the various aspects of their day.

Everything has been considered to make the facility flow and remain open, and at the same time manage the reality of creating a secure and safe place to play football.

The gym, product trial and catering functions have operable facades, opening them up to the field directly to the fields, and a player’s tunnel bisects the main building creating a direct connection from the change rooms with the field for the players.

The facade is clad in a local sandstone, and wrapped with a local timber louvre structure to mitigate the solar heat gain to the west, north and east facades.

Cantilevering over the pitches, the overhang provides shade before and after the game.

The south facade has it’s sandstone exposed and houses a growing list of players who distinguish themselves on and off the pitch – their names permanently a part of the building and it’s future.

The intent of the project was to provide a lasting home for football in the dynamic neighbourhood of Soweto that would continue on past the world cup.

Location: Soweto, Gauteng, South Africa

Main Building Area: 1300sqm
Site Area: 54,800sqm

Lead Architecture & Design: RUFproject
Lead Architect & Designer: Sean Pearson

Nike Global Football
Creative Director: Andy Walker

Local Professional Team:
Client: Nike South Africa

Project Manager: Lynette Mollet

Local Project Manager: SIP Project Managers Ltd.
Project Manager: Colin Cater

Local Architect: MMA Architects
Lead: Luyanda Mpahlwa

Above photograph is by Allan James Lipp

Local Structural Engineer: AKI Consulting Engineers
Lead: Denis Nash

Above photograph is by Allan James Lipp

Local Electrical & Mechanical Engineer: Spoormaker & Partners
Lead: Corrie Prinsloo

Local Graphic Agency: Grid Worldwide Branding & Design
Lead: Kevin Pillay

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Contrator: Rainbow Construction
Lead: Eddie Bishop

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Training centre by Chartier-Corbasson	Sports centre by Batlle i Roig Arquitectes	Nike Sportswear Store by Nike Brand Design

Tackle slopes with carbon fiber skis designed for ice and versatility

Ski magazines typically depict stylish athletes gliding effortlessly down tufts of powder, but those who live on the U.S.’ East Coast (dubbed the Ice Coast) know a different reality. Growing up on the slopes of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, skiers Ben Callaghan and Joel Nashett understand the challenges of conquering less-than-ideal conditions and designed Avant Skis—high-performance skis shaped for what the conditions are, not what we’d like them to be.

“The big trend now is to have super crazy wide skis, which is great when there is waist deep powder, but for the East and even 90% of the conditions out West, they are kind of overkill sometimes,” Callaghan explained in a recent interview. Designed using their own extensive experience skiing, the Hartford, CT-based label have created three variations of their Aviator model.

The Ace is 181 centimeters of carbon composite, making it much lighter and more responsive than fiberglass models, and its striking reflective strips heighten visibility, where the slightly shorter Bomber (165 centimeters) allows for tighter turns and its thick steel edges are perfect for pushing maneuvers to their limit, hitting rails and rocks. For women, the Wasp is the same length as the Bomber, offering the same sturdy construction and steel edges suitable for ice and rocks.

All three models sell online for $800 each, but the innovative duo plan to open a full-service shop with a ski factory and R&D center open for tours in the future. Explains Nashett in an interview with New York ski blog Harvey Road, “I think that if people could come to a ski resort to ski and to watch how skis are made, or even get their hands dirty working on their own boards, it would be a must-do item on a travel itinerary.”