The new school at Amager in Copenhagen is an open and inviting house, with each inch of the architecture offering spaces for learning. A central feature of the school is the leisure zone, which we have weaved into the fabric of the city by letting the school’s architecture melt with the surrounding area. The zone has multiple functions that invite by-passers to interact with the architecture of the school. Towards the street, we have designed large staircases that function as both seating plateaus and workout space.
The outside stairs creates a seamless transition between the urban cityscape and the school’s architecture. As the local users climb the stairs, an outside playscape opens up above the citys noise and traffic. Here the local community can enjoy a break under full size trees while the kids have fun at the play sets and the climbing walls. When the time comes to go back down, the locals can either take the stairs or use the slide, which winds its way back to the ground.
Apart from being a school organised to facilitate ideal learning situations, the school doubles as a centre for after school activities for adults and children alike. Thus, at the ground floor the school offers easy access to gym hall, workshops, maker spaces and an auditorium, here we have designed the architecture in a manner that facilitates a vibrant social environment for activities such as lectures, crafts, concerts and communal meetings.
To let in daylight, we have created an inner atrium with skylights and a large staircase for sitting. The staircase opens up the rest of the schools floors for the pupils. Moving up through the levels, the pupils will become more shielded from the outside world. By creating this vertical connection, we have organised the architecture so the youngest pupils have their daily lives farthest from the bustling streets, thus ensuring a safe learning environment.
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