In Copenhagen, the 'water culture house' KAI with 10 pools and an onsen opens on December 5

The new KAI complex on Paper Island in Copenhagen opens on December 5. The project by the Japanese firm Kengo Kuma & Associates includes 10 pools, three saunas, an outdoor onsen, and direct access to harbor swimming areas. It is designed for 380 visitors at a time and has become part of the transformation of the industrial port into a cultural waterfront.

Aziz KarimovFirst published on tafs uz 30 October 2026 at 12:152 min read

The key facts

KAI opens on Paper Island in Copenhagen on December 5, 2026
The 5,800 m² complex was designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates
The complex can accommodate 380 visitors at a time

A new water culture center opens in December

In Copenhagen, the KAI complex on Paper Island opens on December 5 — part of a broader project to revitalize the city's harbor. The name plays on both the Japanese word for 'sea' and the Danish 'kaj' (quay), referencing the building's location. Euronews reports this.

What's inside

The building, covering about 5,800 square meters, consists of five brick towers, each echoing the outlines of the pools beneath it. The ground floor houses a 25-meter lap pool, a training pool, and three children's play pools, with access to harbor swimming areas: a swimming zone overlooking the Opera Park and a dipping zone facing the Royal Danish Theatre. The second floor is devoted to wellness: a therapeutic pool, a hot pool, a cold pool, an open 'valley' pool, and an outdoor onsen overlooking the harbor. The complex also features three saunas, a heated stone, and a steam bath. KAI can accommodate 380 visitors at a time.

Project context

The authors describe KAI as a 'house of water culture' intended to host cultural events 'inviting people to explore water in new ways.' Lead architect and studio partner Yuki Ikeguchi called the building part of the ongoing transformation of the city and its harbor from an industrial port into a cultural waterfront, and 'a civic institution dedicated to water and community,' open to all. The article is accompanied by a photo gallery of the complex's interiors.