The firm of Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, BIG, recently completed a 15,069-sf high school expansion just north of Copenhagen—Ingels’ alma mater.
Composed of two stories, the cultural activities building sprang up between Gammel Hellerup Gymnasium's football field and a recently complete multipurpose hall, which was also designed by BIG. The new arts building connects with the school’s existing educational facilities in one continuous flow.
“My high school, formerly introverted and dispersed, has become open and integrated through two focused interventions,” Ingels said in a release. “Even though each phase is autonomous and complete, their introduction into the mix has completely reconfigured the sum of the parts. Like a catalyst or an enzyme, once inserted, all the surrounding substance transforms into something completely new.”
From the architect:
The roof of the new arts building extends the school’s existing football fields into a green carpet for informal activity, serving as informal seating overlooking sports events. Image by Rasmus Hjotshoj
Construction materials and finishes familiar from the multipurpose hall are integrated in reverse. Where the sports hall is made of concrete with wooden finishes above and below ground, the classrooms are the opposite: wooden walls span the length of the building, complimented by concrete ceilings and floors. This continuity and repetition of materials creates a coherent visual identity for the school. Photo: Jens Lindhe
Image: Iwan Baan
Image: Rasmus Hjortshoj
Image: Rasmus Hjortshoj
Image: Jens Lindhe
Related Stories
| Apr 2, 2014
8 tips for avoiding thermal bridges in window applications
Aligning thermal breaks and applying air barriers are among the top design and installation tricks recommended by building enclosure experts.
| Apr 1, 2014
Hawaiian performing arts center named nation's best new theater
Seabury Hall Creative Arts Center, a prep-school performing arts center on Maui in Hawaii, received the United States Institute for Theatre Technology's (USITT) highest architecture award—the Honor Award.
| Mar 26, 2014
Callison launches sustainable design tool with 84 proven strategies
Hybrid ventilation, nighttime cooling, and fuel cell technology are among the dozens of sustainable design techniques profiled by Callison on its new website, Matrix.Callison.com.
| Mar 20, 2014
Common EIFS failures, and how to prevent them
Poor workmanship, impact damage, building movement, and incompatible or unsound substrate are among the major culprits of EIFS problems.
| Mar 17, 2014
Rem Koolhaas explains China's plans for its 'ghost cities'
China's goal, according to Koolhaas, is to de-incentivize migration into already overcrowded cities.
| Mar 12, 2014
14 new ideas for doors and door hardware
From a high-tech classroom lockdown system to an impact-resistant wide-stile door line, BD+C editors present a collection of door and door hardware innovations.
| Mar 4, 2014
If there’s no ‘STEM crisis,’ why build more STEM schools?
Before you get your shorts in a knot, I have nothing against science, technology, engineering, or even mathematics; to the contrary, I love all four “STEM” disciplines (I’m lying about the math). But I question whether we need to be building K-12 schools that overly emphasize or are totally devoted to STEM.
| Feb 26, 2014
Adaptive reuse project brings school into historic paper mill
The project features nontraditional classrooms for collaborative learning, an arts and music wing, and a technologically sophisticated global resource center.
| Feb 14, 2014
Crowdsourced Placemaking: How people will help shape architecture
The rise of mobile devices and social media, coupled with the use of advanced survey tools and interactive mapping apps, has created a powerful conduit through which Building Teams can capture real-time data on the public. For the first time, the masses can have a real say in how the built environment around them is formed—that is, if Building Teams are willing to listen.
| Feb 5, 2014
'School Security' PDF available to BD+C readers - CORRECTED
I've received several requests from BD+C readers who design and build K-12 schools about the 3-part series we ran in our January issue ("Can Design Prevent Another Sandy Hook?"). They wanted to send the issue to their school boards and other public officials with responsibility for school safety. In light of the importance of this topic, as a special service to our readers we're making the series available in PDF form.