Kengo Kuma’s Copenhagen bathhouse to open with five brick towers

The Kai Water Culture House, a 5,800-square-metre aquatic centre on Copenhagen’s harbour, will open on December 5, 2026, bringing ten indoor and outdoor pools to Papirøen, or Paper Island. Dezeen reported that Japanese architect Kengo Kuma designed the project alongside Danish firms Cornelius Vöge, Søren Jensen and Vilhelm Lauritzen Architects.

Rather than a single facade, the building rises as five brick towers of varying heights that follow the outlines of the pools below, according to Yankodesign. Approximately 300,000 handmade bricks cover the interior and exterior in staggered, stepped patterns, while a glazed base makes the masonry appear suspended above the waterfront.

Ten Pools Include an Outdoor Valley Pool and a Heated Onsen

The ground floor holds a 25-meter pool, a teaching pool and three children’s play pools. Upstairs, the outdoor Valley Pool places swimmers between the towers beneath open sky, while a separate heated onsen overlooks the harbor. The tallest tower contains a Culture Tower for cultural and movement activities.

The Project Began With a 2015 Public Ideas Competition

The bathhouse grew from a public ideas competition in 2015, when most of the 160 submissions called for swimming facilities. Kuma’s practice subsequently won the architectural competition with Cornelius Vöge and engineering firm Søren Jensen.

Harbor Bath and Timber Deck Scheduled for Early 2027

Outside the main building, a public timber deck and harbor bath are planned, though these bathing facilities are expected to open in early 2027, according to Yankodesign.

Light Patterns Inspired by Nature and Architecture

Why do the towers have peaked forms?

The peaked tower silhouettes relate to Paper Island’s pyramid-shaped residential buildings, giving the bathhouse a visual connection to its neighbors, Yankodesign reported.

What is komorebi and how does it appear in the design?

The Danish Architecture Center connects the building’s filtered light through brick openings to komorebi, the Japanese term for sunlight passing through leaves, breaking illumination into smaller patches rather than relying on broad glass walls.

Where exactly is the facility located on Paper Island?

The building occupies the island’s northwestern corner, near Copenhagen’s Opera House and Opera Park.