The Kalvebod Wave

The 400 meter long harbour promenade “The Kalvebod Wave” balances on 284 stilts out in the harbour of Copenhagen.

From here it is possible to do kayak polo only one kilometre from the City Hall Square, Rådhuspladsen. It is also possible to frolic on the kayak slide – and then there is a wealth of new possibilities for the many joggers who like to run along the harbour. By jogging on the wooden wave, they are right by the water surface in the harbour. The Kalvebod Wave also offers outdoor workout gear. It will probably also be difficult to prevent overheated inhabitants of Copenhagen from jumping into the water from “the Wave” on hot summer days which was already clear at the opening in the warm late summer of 2013.

At the millennium, a process was begun to develop the harbour from being a boring industrial area to a big attraction and recreational part of the city. A new park and a harbour swimming pool were established – with support from the Foundation – at Islands Brygge in 2003. Since then, a lot has happened along the harbour with room for both striking office buildings and recreational activities.

The Kalvebod Wave is placed on the “boring” side of the harbour across from Islands Brygge. Because of the buildings in the area, the western side has the problem that it is in the shade in the late afternoon and evening. This problem was solved by the architects by simply creating a build that reaches all the way out onto the water where the sun can reach over the buildings. This also provided the inspiration to design the project as a wave where all surfaces can be used for activities.