Paper Island
Client:
CPH City & Port Development, CØ P/S (Danica Ejendomsselskab, Unionkul Ejendomme, Nordkranen), NCC
Size:
45,000 m2
Program:
Mixed-use including condos, co-operative social housing, hotel, student housing and retail
Collaborators:
Inside Outside, Via Trafik, Transsolar, MOE
Awards:
Architizer A+ Awards 2025 - Best Mixed Use, MIPIM Awards 2017 Finalist – Best Futura Project
Paper Island transforms a former industrial site in Copenhagen’s inner harbor into a vibrant mixed-use destination. Previously used for paper storage, the site now hosts cultural, residential, and commercial spaces, seamlessly blending public and private realms. The former industrial warehouses on the island have been replaced with new halls, housing informal public functions and ensuring that the entire ground floor is accessible to the public. Above the halls, various housing types – including condos, social housing, student housing, and a hotel – are arranged as a perimeter block, alongside a public water culture house.
Paper Island is an example of how Copenhagen is transforming from an industrial city to a place for people. When Cobe helped re-program Paper Island from industry to city district it quickly became the fourth most visited tourist attraction in Denmark. Learning from this success Cobe chose the public accessible and robust hall typology as a programmatic premise for the redevelopment of Paper Island.
This design creates an intimate and protected courtyard as the heart of the island that serves as a private rooftop garden and a public green space on the ground floor. Surrounding the island is a wide public harbor promenade with small pocket spaces, lowered wooden platforms for boats, and a public pool, accommodating thousands of visitors in this blue urban living room.
The development draws on its unique historical setting in Copenhagen's old industrial warehouse district. The architecture is inspired by the historic warehouses and gables of its surroundings. Materials such as concrete and brick reflect this context; concrete pays homage to the former industrial halls on the island, while custom-designed bricks reference the yellow tones of the nearby historic warehouses. These materials feature in the façade’s intricate detailing and vertical bands, creating a rhythmic visual effect. The brick, specifically crafted for this project, includes a raw recessed texture, creating a distinctive play of light.