Metropolitan Mayors' Council Visits Danish Eco-Friendly Incineration Plant Design Firm 'BIG'

Copenhagen Specialty 'Amager Bake' Design
Also Touring 'Superkilen' Urban Regeneration Site

Mayors belonging to the National Association of Large Cities, who are visiting Europe to tour major resource recovery facilities and urban regeneration sites, visited Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), a leading eco-friendly incineration plant design firm in Denmark, on the 30th (local time).

BIG is the company that designed 'Amager Bakke' in Copenhagen, Denmark, widely known as an eco-friendly incineration plant. On this day, Lee Sang-il, Mayor of Yongin, Lee Dong-hwan, Mayor of Goyang, Shin Sang-jin, Mayor of Seongnam, Joo Kwang-deok, Mayor of Namyangju, and Kim Byung-soo, Mayor of Gimpo, who visited BIG’s Copenhagen headquarters, received explanations about the design and construction process of Amager Bakke.

Mayors belonging to the National Association of Large City Mayors visited Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) in Copenhagen, Denmark, and examined the model of 'Amager Bakke,' an eco-friendly incineration plant designed by the company.
[Photo by Yongin City]

Amager Bakke incineration plant was selected as the 'World Building of the Year' at the 2021 World Architecture Festival (WAF). WAF is an event where architects from around the world gather to share expertise, featuring various architectural conferences, presentations of entries, and awards during the festival period.

BIG explained that they secured the safety of the incineration plant through eco-friendly technology, and proposed an innovative design and conceptual shift by incorporating resident-friendly facilities such as a ski slope, hiking trails, and gardens on the sloped roof, which led to their selection in the Copenhagen city competition.

The mayoral delegation then visited the 'Superkilen' area, an urban regeneration project by BIG and others that transformed a high-crime immigrant neighborhood in Copenhagen into a place free of crime and violence.

Mayors belonging to the National Association of Large City Mayors are inspecting the site of 'Superkilen,' a representative urban regeneration project in Copenhagen.
[Photo by Yongin City]

BIG and others implemented a project aimed at citizen safety and quality of life improvement in this area, where many immigrants live and violence and crime were frequent. Immigrants from 62 countries residing in the area actively participated in the urban regeneration project, bringing 108 items and facilities such as small fountains, benches, and stone tables representing their unique traditions and cultures from their home countries. They decorated the central area of the neighborhood as a space where multiple cultures coexist, fostering mutual understanding and enjoyment.

Lee Sang-il, Chairman of the National Association of Large Cities and Mayor of Yongin, said, "The Amager Bakke and Superkilen projects are innovative cases that transformed incineration plants and high-crime areas into spaces that citizens enjoy through creative ideas," adding, "I believe they can provide lessons for local government administration in Korea as well."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.