San Diego Architectural Foundation

An industrial, virtually inaccessible sea front in a suburb of Copenhagen where the residents aspired to something better has been transformed. The former rocks of the beach have been replaced with sand and extending out into the sea is a pier which culminates in a circular, multi-level, wooden structure, for swimming, bathing and diving, that rises up gradually out of the sea.

It is designed to offer a range of ways to access the water depending on your level of adventurousness – by ladder, stairs or gentle ramps descending into the water’s surface or jumping platforms of various heights. Functions such as changing rooms, bathrooms, sunbathing areas and stadium-like seating are built into the spiraling design. A slatted outer wall wraps around the structure and provides protection from the wind while still allowing a view across the ocean. 

 This is an inviting public facility – open to everyone, regardless of age or physical mobility. The simple gesture of the circular form is appropriate for a structure that is viewed from a distance across a wide expanse of sea, while also engaging the pier and facing the beach in a welcoming manner.
           
“My idea was to achieve a sculptural, dynamic form that can be seen from the land, from the sea and from the air,” says architect Fredrik Pettersson. “The silhouette changes as the spectator moves around it."It provides a sculpture to walk on and dive from.