Copenhagen’s KAI water centre will open on December 5
Thursday 22nd October 2026 on 21:01 in
Denmark
Copenhagen’s new KAI water culture centre will open to the public on December 5, DR reports, following several years of construction. The municipality says visitors can expect pools at several levels, wellness facilities and swimming access to the harbour.
The 5,800-square-metre centre on the harbour quay will have 10 indoor and outdoor pools. It is intended for residents, swimming clubs, cultural groups and visitors to the city.
The building includes a new swimming pool for the city’s swimming clubs. Large glass sections offer views towards Paper Island and the harbour, while the centre also connects directly to the water.
Mayor Sisse Marie Welling said the new pools were important because Copenhagen lacks swimming capacity. She hopes KAI will become a meeting place for residents and visitors who enjoy the water.
The project grew out of a 2015 municipal ideas competition for a new cultural and leisure facility on Paper Island. Residents submitted 160 proposals, most of which called for a swimming facility with space for quiet recreation and local associations.
KAI was designed by Japanese architecture firm Kengo Kuma and Associates. The municipality says the name refers to “sea” in Japanese and reflects the meeting of Danish and Japanese architecture and culture.
The centre cost 989 million kroner to build. Copenhagen Municipality contributed 443 million kroner, while the Nordea Foundation provided 546 million kroner.