Aaby School Aarhus, Denmark
To meet projected population growth and the increasing number of students in Aarhus’ Aabyhøj area, the existing Aaby School is to be extended with a new building focused on science and creativity, while also becoming a new gathering point for the local community. The concept comprises building blocks with different qualities, which, when combined, create an architecture that, on the one hand, roots the extension in its context and, on the other hand, results in an expressive and diverse framework for a vibrant learning environment.
The addition relates to the existing early-twentieth-century school buildings by reinterpreting their classical, robust expression into a clean-cut modern building volume that seems to grow out of the old complex. The new wing contains a play and activity zone on the roof, outdoor labs and workshops, balconies, and bike sheds. They all appear as wireframes covered with nets in the same colour tone as the rest of the school. Together, they create a semi-transparent expression that lets the life of the school break out of the structure, activating its surfaces and outdoor areas.
Inside the school, a central common space is introduced – a kind of flipped room, where science and creativity meet through an upside-down art installation. The space itself is irregular and gives the impression of lacking definition, in contrast to the traditional “shaft atrium”. Small and accessible boxes cantilever into it, providing intimate nooks for social meetings between two or three pupils. Around the atrium, open, informal learning spaces are scattered to create a buffer zone between the actual classrooms and the communal space. The organisation of the interior creates “social ripples” – the centre is busy and lively while the rings around it gradually subside into quietness.
