Inside Copenhagen’s swanky new ‘water culture house’

Rain or shine (or even snow), nothing can get between Danes and going for a swim.

Soon, Copenhagen residents will have a new spot for doing so – and it’s seriously swanky.

Part of a wider project to revitalise Copenhagen Harbour, KAI will open on Paper Island on 5 December.

Designed by Japanese practice Kengo Kuma & Associates, the name is both a reference to the Japanese word for sea and the Danish word for quay (kaj), a nod to its location.

Described as a “water culture house”, the facility has 10 swimming pools plus direct access to designated swimming and dipping zones in the harbour and will host cultural experiences that “invite people to explore water in new ways”.

“It is part of the ongoing transformation of the city and its harbour from an industrial port into a cultural waterfront, where new functions have helped bring the surrounding areas of the Inner Harbour to life,” Yuki Ikeguchi, lead architect and partner in charge at Kengo Kuma & Associates, said.

“As Paper Island’s cultural cornerstone, the House is a civic institution dedicated to water and community, embraced by a public harbour bath.

“Open to all, it creates new settings for everyday life in Copenhagen, where physical and mental wellbeing can become a natural part of urban life.”

What to expect at KAI

Spanning some 5,800 square metres, the complex consists of five brick towers, each of which is shaped according to the outline of the pools beneath it.

The ground floor has a 25-metre fitness pool, a teaching pool and three children’s play pools, with access to the harbour bathing areas which include a swimming zone overlooking the Opera Park, and a plunge zone with views of the Royal Danish Playhouse.

The first floor is dedicated to wellness, with a therapy pool, a hot pool, and a cold plunge pool. It’s also where you’ll find the open-air valley pool, as well as the outdoor onsen, which boasts fantastic views of the harbour.

Able to handle 380 bathers at any given time, the facility also has three saunas, a heated stone and a steam bath.

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