WATER TREATMENT GOES PUBLIC

Henning Larsen Architects now revealed plans for the Solrødgård Water Treatment Plant, which also functions as a public park that aims to inform visitors about water usage.

The Solrødgård Water Treatment Plant services the city of Hillerød in northern Zealand, Denmark, and includes a recycling centre, wastewater treatment plant, and administrative facility. The project, which features a weathered steel and glass façade, is embedded into the landscape and topped by a large green roof with meandering pathways.

The green roof allows visitors to stroll along the paths and peer through the skylights to watch as the plant goes about its business. The idea is that the public becomes more invested in how their community uses water.

The water treatment plant is split into two parts by a central pathway, creating space for a small creek that shows water being cleaned naturally with foliage, as a contrast with the industrial process inside. The area also offers more views of the plant's inner workings.

"The rooftop paths give a view over the rest of the park, but the central pathway is really where visitors can get an idea of how their community’s water cycle works," says Marie Ørsted Larsen, Senior Landscape Architect at Henning Larsen. "It’s symbolic of us cutting into the landscape to look within, creating a contrast between the natural water cycle and the constructed process that supports our communities."

The two parts are joined by a steel bridge and elsewhere in the park there are walking trails, a birdwatching tower, and a roosting spot for local bats.

The majority of the Solrødgård Water Treatment Plant was completed back in 2017 but the green roof and other landscaping were only recently installed and will continue to grow. The project is part of the larger Solrødgård Climate and Environment Park.

Via New Atlas | Images by Jacob Due