Water Culture House

Copenhagen is about to get one of its most exciting new waterfront landmarks. The Water Culture House, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma in collaboration with Vilhelm Lauritzen Arkitekter, is set to open in the second half of 2026 on Paper Island, a former industrial site in the heart of the inner harbor, near the Opera House and Nyhavn. Spanning 5,000 square meters, the striking building is composed of cone-shaped brick volumes that appear to rest on a delicate ribbon of glass, with a heated outdoor pool tucked into a "valley" between its sculpted rooflines for year-round bathing. Inside, swimmers, locals, and travelers will find a harbor bath with pools of varying depths, community spaces, club rooms, meeting facilities, and a promenade overlooking the water, making it as much a new social anchor for the city as it is a destination for design lovers.