Copenhagen’s Papirøen, also known as Paper Island, is getting a new landmark that puts architectural brickwork front and center. Kengo Kuma & Associates’ KAI Water Culture House is set to open Dec. 5, 2026, and the 5,800-square-meter facility is planned around swimming and bathing spaces along the city’s changing harborfront.
From a masonry standpoint, the story is the building’s five irregular brick forms rising above a continuous band of glass at the base. The brick volumes slope and break apart, creating views of the sky between them, while the heavier masonry reads as a strong cap over the transparent lower level.
The facade uses about 300,000 handmade bricks in gray tones. The bricks are laid in a stepped pattern that gives the walls a defined texture and shadow line. The building also includes 403 windows, which means the brickwork relies on repeatable layout, consistent coursing, and clean edges at openings to keep the elevations looking intentional instead of busy.
Between the towers, the project includes an open-air Valley Pool, with the brick surfaces shaping the outdoor room. A heated outdoor onsen overlooking Copenhagen Harbour is also part of the plan, using a ground-source heat pump system for year-round operation.
Inside, the ground level includes a 25-meter fitness pool, a teaching pool, and three children’s pools. Upper floors add warmer bathing areas, a cold plunge pool, plus saunas and a steam bath. The project grew out of a city-hosted ideas competition in 2015 and developed with Cornelius Vöge Atelier for Architecture and Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects. More public bathing facilities, including a timber boardwalk to harbor swimming areas, are set to follow in early 2027.
Read the full, original article from freeyork here.