Copenhagen’s new water culture centre, KAI, will open on 5 December 2026 on Papirøen, an island in the Danish capital’s harbour. Built for DKK 989 million (€132 million), the 5,800-square-metre complex combines public swimming facilities, wellness areas and cultural spaces, according to Copenhagen Municipality.
There will be ten pools, indoors and outdoors. The ground floor includes a 25-metre swimming pool, a teaching pool and three children’s play pools. Upstairs, visitors will find therapy and hot-and-cold pools, with water temperatures ranging from 15°C to 42°C, as well as two open-air pools, one overlooking Copenhagen Harbour.
More than a water culture centre
The Japanese architecture studio Kengo Kuma & Associates designed KAI around five brick-clad structures rising above a glass base. One contains rooms for cultural and community activities. The name KAI means “sea” in Japanese and also recalls the Danish word kaj, meaning quay.
The project grew out of a municipal ideas competition in 2015, which attracted 160 proposals from residents. Many called for swimming facilities and a place for local associations to gather.
Copenhagen’s Lord Mayor Sisse Marie Welling, of the Socialist People’s Party, said the new pools would help relieve pressure on the city’s swimming capacity. Speaking to TV 2 Kosmopol, she pointed to long waiting lists for children seeking places in swimming clubs.
How much KAI cost and when it opens
The DKK 989 million (€132 million) construction bill was funded by DKK 443 million (€59 million) from Copenhagen Municipality and DKK 546 million (€73 million) from the Nordea Foundation (Nordea-fonden).
KAI will also have areas for swimming and dipping directly in the harbour. However, those harbour bathing zones are not expected to open until early 2027, according to the municipality. The ten pools in the building, including its elevated outdoor pools, are set to open in December.
A free opening event will take place on Saturday 5 December, from noon to 6 p.m. Regular opening hours begin on 6 December, from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Normal admission prices will be in line with the city’s other public swimming centres, and KAI will accommodate up to 380 bathers at a time.
