Planners in China, Dubai, United Arab Emirates and other spots worldwide that have not been known in modern times for their stunning architecture, are changing how the world perceives their nations and towns. Through eye-catching, architectural principals-defying structures, these spots and other more remote ones are becoming destination points for architecture.
So, move over UAE, with your tall skyscrapers housing financial companies and your sleek urban spots. Make room for the newest, shiniest architectural gem—the Glasir-Torshavn College school building complex, in the Faroe Islands.
“This building gives us all the conditions we need to succeed. It is now our responsibility to get as much as possible from this fantastic environment. We are certain that our new surroundings will have a great impact on how teachers will teach and how students will learn,” says Bogi Bech, CEO, Glasir.
The 206,000-sf vortex-shaped education center connects three schools under one roof. Set on a hillside by the Atlantic Ocean, the building brings together the Faroe Islands Gymnasium, Tórshavn Technical College and the Business College. Bjarke Ingels Group won the design competition, along with Lemming & Eriksson, Fuglark Architects, Sámal Johannesen, Martin E. Leo and KJ Elrad.
See Also: Bjarke Ingels Group creates 66 homes for low-income citizens in Copenhagen
Glasir officials said the idea behind the design concept was to retain the separate identities of the schools while fostering collaboration. The structure is meant to be an incubator for innovation.
The new building is comprised of a stack of five separate floors that wrap around a central courtyard. The building is designed as if it were a vortex, with each level opening and the top levels radiating outwards.
Part of the point is to connect the students, academics, the school building complex, and wind-swept, seabird-filled picturesque Faroese landscape. The islands are a destination point for bird-watchers and other nature lovers. And now, perhaps, for even more lovers of learning.
"Inspired by the dramatic Faroese topography, Glasir is designed like a landscape for learning: the central space of the school is conceived as a topographical interpretation of the natural landscape — a continuous terraced terrain with steps and staircases that connect across several levels and merge the multistory building into a single entity," says Bjarke Ingels, Founder & Creative Director, BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group.
Related Stories
K-12 Schools | Feb 25, 2015
Polish architect designs modular ‘kids city’ kindergarten using shipping container frames
Forget the retrofit of a shipping container into a building for one moment. Designboom showcases the plans of Polish architect Adam Wiercinski to use just the recycled frames of containers to construct a “kids city.”
University Buildings | Feb 23, 2015
Future-proofing educational institutions: 5 trends to consider
In response to rapidly changing conditions in K-12 and higher education, institutions and school districts should consider these five trends to ensure a productive, educated future.
University Buildings | Feb 20, 2015
Penn strengthens campus security by reviving its surrounding neighborhood
In 1996, the University of Pennsylvania’s sprawling campus in Philadelphia was in the grip of an unprecedented crime wave. But instead of walling themselves off from their surrounding neighborhoods, the school decided to support the community.
University Buildings | Feb 18, 2015
Preparing for the worst: Campus security since Virginia Tech
Seven years after the mass shootings at Virginia Tech, colleges and universities continue to shake up their emergency communications and response capabilities to shootings and other criminal threats.
University Buildings | Feb 17, 2015
BD+C exclusive: How security is influencing campus design and construction
Campus crime—whether real or perceived—presents Building Teams with more opportunities for early-stage consultation with university clients.
Sponsored | Roofing | Feb 11, 2015
New school blends with local architecture using Petersen metal roof
Perkins Eastman in Stamford, Conn., designed the school to emphasize and integrate the International Baccalaureate curriculum throughout.
Architects | Feb 11, 2015
Shortlist for 2015 Mies van der Rohe Award announced
Copenhagen, Berlin, and Rotterdam are the cities where most of the shortlisted works have been built.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 6, 2015
Under the sea: Manmade island functions as artificial reef
The proposed island would allow visitors to view the enormous faux-reef and its accompanying marine life from the water’s surface to its depths, functioning as an educational center and marine life reserve.
Cultural Facilities | Feb 5, 2015
5 developments selected as 'best in urban placemaking'
Falls Park on the Reedy in Greenville, S.C., and the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Downtown Market are among the finalists for the 2015 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence.
Higher Education | Feb 3, 2015
Integrated Learning Neighborhoods: A solution for linking student housing with the typical student experience
Just as urban housing fits into the city as a whole, student housing can be integrated into the campus network as a series of living/learning neighborhoods, write Gensler's Brian Watson and Mark McMinn.