The City of the Future
Copenhagen is not a city of superlatives. It isn’t looking to draw tourists with the world’s largest ferris wheel, tallest observation deck, or largest mall. Instead, it’s looking to grow sustainably and get tourists to move away from the crowded centre of the city (after they’ve taken that selfie at the colourful Nyhavn waterfront) and explore the other offerings of the Danish capital. But at its unique waste-to-energy plant, CopenHill, you will find the world’s tallest climbing wall, which rises up the facade of the world’s first waste burning plant to be capped with a U-shaped ski slope. On a tour, the plant’s communication consultant, Sune Scheibye, said, “We wanted to make something that was the cleanest, most energy-efficient plant in the world.”
When I visited in August 2019, there were still a few months to go before Amager Bakke, as it’s locally known, would open (in October that year), but there was more than enough greenery—grass and flowers, bees,), The Royal Danish Playhouse (), the fast-changing neighbourhood of Nordhavnen, and even Noma () are some of the landmarks one can spot. But for tourists (and locals), what matters is the ability to try their hand at skiing down an urban, man-made mountain, complete with ski lifts. This past summer, the building hosted a jazz and cocktail event, giving residents ample room to maintain social distancing while enjoying the summer sun.
