Plant Power

Plant Power - Copenhagen’s new power plant is wrapped in a curtain of tree trunks to symbolize the transition away from coal as a source of energy As Copenhagen strives to become the world’s first carbon neutral capital by 2025, local utility company HOFOR highlights its transition away from coal with a bold and dynamic façade design at its new biomass-fired district heating power plant. As sustainably sourced wood chips is the fuel, the façade design refers to the forest which provides the wood for the fire that keeps Copenhageners warm. This is done by wrapping the unit in a six meter deep curtain of suspended tree trunks, creating the appearance of a dense forest. A forest planting scheme across the entire power plant site also stems from the link to the remote woods. The proximity of the power plant to the city centre and the fact that nearby residential buildings come ever closer led to a wish for a gentle, embracing and engaging design. As a further step towards connecting the public with the infrastructure the facade integrates a staircase leading up from the forecourt to a viewing platform on the roof of the building. The walk inside the thick curtain of tree trunks is punctuated by stops at several large bay windows which offer a look into the fascinating power plant interior. A stunning view of Copenhagen and the Øresund sound separating Denmark from Sweden can be enjoyed at the end of the walk. Up here, a small, live forest is planted and the narrative of trees and wood comes full circle. Realizing that a significant facade design must also be relevant after dark, illumination was in focus from the onset, as an added layer of narrative and perception. Gently rippling waves of light are projected onto the trunks, bringing to mind the appearance of slowly drifting moonlight in the night time forest. This impression is at the same time charmingly organic, highly abstract and oddly recognizable as being natural. The overall impression is of a power plant wanting to connect with the citizens it serves in a welcoming and expressive manner by striving to create what could be dubbed industrial poetry.