NEWS
Rendering: Cornelius Vöge APS
EVERYDAY LAB FOR DIFFERENT USER GROUPS MODERNIZATION OF SCHOOL GYMNASIUM IN FREDERIKSBERG, DENMARK Søndermarkskolen is one of five pilot projects in the campaign “Old gymnasiums – new opportunities”, conducted by a partnership between Lokale og Anlægsfonden (Danish Foundation for Culture and Sports Facilities), Dansk Skoleidræt (Danish School Sports) and Dansk Idraetsforbund (Sports Confederation of Denmark). The Søndermarkskolen project showcases how a listed school building and traditional school gym can be gently transformed into a shared social space and everyday lab uniting school, sports clubs and the local community. Cornelius Vöge ApS is in charge of the modernization in Frederiksberg. Most school gyms in Denmark look the same. They are built in the same tradition using a hundred-year-old design blueprint. Both aesthetically and functionally, they have many qualities, but from the user’s point of view the gyms need an update to better facilitate modern school sports and learning activities and to support an active and playful school day for children and adolescents. Not to mention, to expand school sports facilities into local meeting places to facilitate more daily activities promoting physical and mental health among adults and senior citizens.
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A single and simple architectural concept The new design will unite the gym and all surrounding areas and rooms in a simple architectural approach that bridges both horizontally and vertically. As an add-on to the gym, it allows users to enter the gym directly from the street or school yard and enables both practical and playful flows between the three floors. The former science room is turned into a shared social space and becomes the heart of the new facility.
Look at what is In an extensive user involvement process, attention was drawn especially to potential in the gym’s existing surroundings: These are the school’s forecourt, the school yard, an under-used science room and an unused roof surface above the gym.
Be open to what may come The approach is open-ended. Users from the school, sport clubs and the municipality share the ambition to create an everyday lab where different user groups meet and new ideas and activities develop. The project therefore aims to keep spatial opportunities open and allow users to add new layers over time, e.g. the use of new digital tools.
The main design idea was to expand the gym by opening and connecting it outwards, inwards and upwards and to create a palette of complementary spaces for play, learning, sport and community gathering.
www.corneliusvoge.dk sb 1/2022
