Erick van Egeraat Builds the New Roskilde Incineration Line

The board of Danish waste to energy supplier KARA/Noveren recently signed a contract with Dutch Architect Erick van Egeraat for the realization of their new incineration line at Roskilde, Denmark. Erick van Egeraat won the design competition for this incinerator in 2008 with his proposal seeking to embrace both the historic and industrial heritage.

"It is a contempoprary cathedral, close to the ground we shaped the building to reflect the angular factory roofs of the immediate surroundings”, says Erick van Egeraat. “We then let the building culminate in a 100 meter tall spire, which is an articulation of a fascinating and sustainable process in creating energy.”

The large, outspoken, amber-colored design is likely to become a new icon for the wide and open landscape of the Roskilde area. After its completion in 2013, the facility is not only processing a large part of the local waste. This process produces both electricity and heating for the Roskilde district. 

Today, waste to energy transition can be regarded as one of the environmentally-friendliest methods of creating heat and energy. The new incineration line 6 will use the latest techniques and have a processing capacity from 260,000 to 350,000 ton per year. This will generate an output of electricity for 60,000 households each year.

Erick van Egeraat aims to give insight in the mostly hidden processes of transforming waste into energy. Laser-cut circular openings cover the raw umber-coloured aluminium façade. At night, backlighting of the perforated facade transforms the incinerator into a glowing beacon, symbolizing the energy production inside the facility. For a few minutes every hour, a spark gradually grows into a blazing flame eating up the entire building. The metaphoric fire then ceases, and the building falls into a state of burning embers.

The façade is composed of two layers, the inner layer ensures the daylight entry and air circulation. This ‘liberates’ the outer layer to be flexible in the patterning.

The Roskilde project is one of a series of new projects for Erick van Egeraat, who recently signed contracts for the designs of the Moscow Dynamo stadium (recently on Bustler), the Sberbank Universtiy Campus in Moscow and the Moika apartment-complex in Saint Petersburg.

Project Facts:

Project address : Håndværkervej 70, DK-4000 Roskilde
Client : Kara/Noveren

Program : new incineration line 6 including reception hall, waste bunker, control room
Gross floor area : approx. 7,400 m2 (façade: 29,500 m2)
Volume : n/a
Storeys : n/a
Height : 99 m

Building costs : confidential
Price index : 03/2008

Start competition design : 03-2008
Start design : 03-2008
Design phase : 2009-2012
Development time : 2007-2013
Construction time : 2011-2013
Realization : 2013

Scope of work : full assignment

Fee : confidential

Remarks : competition first prize 2008