Vargo Nielsen Palle, ADEPT, and Rolvung og Brøndsted Arkitekter in collaboration with engineering companies Tri-Consult and Steensen Varming have won the international competition for the first newly built architecture school in Denmark. The jury cited the entry's playful combination of flexible studio space, specific functions, and public spaces which together create a strong connection to Godsbanearealerne.
Together with the team, Vargo Nielsen Palle envisioned a school that functions as a laboratory for architecture and the local creative community. The new architecture school will build a bridge between the school and the city, especially to the scale of the local activities. The site borders the "Green Wedge" of Aarhus, an open landscape reclaimed from industrial uses. The building steps down to meet the scale of this informal environment and is divided into smaller structures within the larger building.
"The building is organized as a city within a building: Rich in diversity but within a simple and rough frame," commented Martin Krogh, ADEPT. "A variety of functions can be used by the entire city, and the larger open spaces throughout the building allow students and the public to interact in both planned and unplanned activities. The mixture between the school and the city is one of the things that will really give life to the school and the local area."
The Aarhus School of Architecture desires a flexible framework of workshops, studios and open spaces within a raw, industrial framework. They imagine a building that can withstand a high level of activity and intensive functions, which may also change over time. The winning proposal accomplishes this vision by creating a frame for architecture and compact "toolboxes" with specific functions within that frame. This provides both the space and tools for students to experiment, and the activity of the building becomes the architecture itself.
The building is scheduled to be completed in 2020. In addition to the school building itself, the winning project proposes several optional smaller buildings in Godsbanearealerne. These include a small artist's residence, an architectural center for children, and workshops that continue the spirit of "Institute for X" on the site.