Cool school

COPENHAGEN: The newly completed multi-purpose hall, gymnasium and education building in Gammel Hellerup High School, designed by International architecture and design group Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), has given the school a new lease of life. But that was only the first part of the rejuvenation project.  After completing the first few phases in 2014, BIG is now working on a 1,400 sq m building to be used by the school’s arts and sports students.

“My high school, formerly introverted and dispersed, has become open and integrated through two focused interventions. 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,” says BIG founding partner, Bjarke Ingels in a recent statement.

Located in Copenhagen, Gammel Hellerup High School’s new two-storey arts building will provide generous spaces for social and creative learning while increasing the school’s capacity to meet its growing popularity.

“We are all incredibly excited to finalise the last phase of the expansion with a complex that not only provides the necessary space and facilities for our students but also with abundant opportunities for outdoor adventure. We could not have hoped for a better addition to Gammel Hellerup High School,” says its principal Jorgen Rasmussen.

The new arts building is located between the school’s multi-purpose hall and adjacent to the football fields, where it connects the sports areas with the gymnasium’s existing educational facilities in a continuous flow.

The construction of the cultural activities building started as soon as the multi-purpose hall was completed in 2014.

The roof of the new arts building extends the school’s existing football fields into a “green carpet” for informal activity while doubling up as a seating area for sports events.

Construction materials and finishes are similar to the multi-purpose hall, as is its architecture, creating a coherent visual identity for the school.

This article first appeared in The Edge Property pullout, on May 15, 2015.