Description

Aarhus has an active architecture scene and it is one of the two traditional locations for architectural education in in Denmark, together with Copenhagen. ADEPT, an office whose three founders come from Aarhus and studied there, has designed a new building for the architecture school. Lendager, well-known for their groundbreaking work in recycling of components, was a consultant.
The 12,500 square metre building is located on Godsbanen, the site of a former goods railroad station. Even before the project began the cultural association „Institute for (X)“ had already created a Tiny House settlement in the area. In order to maintain the active club and nightlife scene in the neighbourhood, the planners and the client remained in a close dialogue with the community. In the evening, the building appears lively and permeable.

From one floor on the side of the old railway station, the building is staggered four storeys towards the street. This means that the surrounding open spaces are not shaded. The roof terrace accommodates temporary structures and thus corresponds with the small-scale context of the tiny houses. In order to reduce the visual impact of the school, it was not positioned on the central axis of the site. Like an aestheticised version of Lacaton & Vassal’s Ecole d’architecture in Nantes, concrete and full glazing alternate in the façade. The main entrance, which leads through a large canteen, is only discreetly emphasised by wood cladding and a canopy. The large windows make life in the building visible. The practical, unpretentious roller shutters stress the crafts aspect rather than an academic understanding of the architectural profession.

Inside, a stacked industrial hall opens up towards the railway area with an open spatial structure. On the ground floor to the south-east are spacious workshops for wood and metal works as well as digital laboratories for working with robots and mock-ups. On the other side is the large auditorium and the library – a complex that stretches over four floors. The fact that workshops and a library determine the layout of the school, conveys the aim of the programme: the new school emphasises the interplay between head and hand in the design process.
The supporting structure is a concrete skeleton into which staircases, escape routes and service rooms are nestled in. Partially glazed recesses allow for views across the building. For detailing and fixtures, the planners used wood in many places and left cables and trusses visible.

The upper floors are open-plan offices, which are divided by large shelves, and wide drawing rooms compartmentalised by curtains. Not all rooms are programmed, and there is plenty of space for the juxtaposition of various activities. Previously, the school was spread across nine locations in Aarhus. With the new building, the square metres have been more than halved, but this is not noticeable thanks to the spacious rooms. By positioning usable areas between the functional rooms instead of corridors, useless spaces have been eliminated. The fact that all chairs now share a building also raises hopes of more exchange between the departments within the school. In this way, the building enables spontaneous communication – and the synergy is tangible.

Originally published in Bauwelt 9.2022, pp. 26–31, abridged and edited for Building Types Online

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