South Harbour School in Copenhagen is the winner of WAN Education Award 2016. JJW Architects, one of Denmark’s largest architectural firms, are responsible for the project. South Harbour School is also part of the Danish contribution to The 15th International Architecture Biennale in Venice that opens 28th of May. 

Reaches out to the city

Located in Copenhagen, Denmark where the population is currently growing at a fast pace of over 1,000 new citizens a month, the city needed to look at increasing its school facilities. South Harbour School is a new public school with a maritime and public profile, inviting in its neighbours and reaching out to its city, becoming an active and socially sustainable part of its new community. In due time the public will also gain access to classrooms dedicated to specific subjects such as music and cooking classes. JJW Architects designed South Harbour with the understanding that schools are equally places for the learning process and also for social exchange. Surprises and new experiences are central concepts for the school. On each floor, plans change and the heights of the rooms vary throughout. These scale changes are central to the project where high ceiling open rooms are combined with more intimate, low-ceiling spaces. The school also features a variety of horizontal and vertical connections and spaces. The idea behind this design is to ensure students, teachers and visitors are surprised, challenged and stimulated as they move around indoors and outdoors. The dualities of activity/rest, light/dark, warm/chilly are all part of the concept. South Harbour School provides different spaces and environments to support the children’s learning processes and social abilities.

It’s just so Danish and clever

WAN AWARDS had a fantastic line up of judges for this award, who had the responsibility of picking a winner. The panel included: Simon Allford Director at Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, Sarah Ball Principal at Woods Bagot, Maria Nesdale, Education & Culture Practice Area Leader, Senior Associate at Gensler, Keith Papa Architect Director at Building Design Partnership (BDP) and Keith Lilley Director of Estates & Facilities Management at Sheffield University. The jury members were unanimously impressed by the use of space.

Simon expressed his views, saying, “By far the best of the highly articulated schemes, this project engages the landscape and the building in making a new place, in a new piece of city.” Sarah remarked, “When you look at it, absolutely every single space is being used. I also love how this sits, it’s completely contextual and it has its own identity.” Keith P followed on to say, “I think that the kids would definitely love it, no doubt about it. It’s been done with a really rigorous and intelligent plan that is not in any way wilful, which is which is incredible. It’s a really clever and wonderful piece of architecture.” Final comments on this project came from Maria who simply said, “This is just so Danish and clever, it’s playful, it’s happy and it looks like a happy space to be. Which I think we can all agree on, schools are meant to be our happiest days after all!”

Lars B. Lindeberg, partner and head of Learning and Culture at JJW Architects, has been responsible for the project.

“We are thrilled and honored over winning the WAN Education Award. I am confident that this will pave the way for other sustainable educational projects that showcase how a school can become an integrated part of the neighbourhood and provide the best possible architectural environment for learning and social development. WAN AWARDS also puts Danish architecture and the Municipality of Copenhagen’s ambitions for their public schools on the international scene as an example worth striving for.”

South Harbour School is also part of the Danish contribution to The 15th International Architecture Biennale in Venice that opens 28th of May and is open until 27^th of November 2106. The Danish contribution is called “The Art of Many – The Right to Space.”

FACTBOX SOUTH HARBOUR SCHOOL

Project: New build – Puplic School

Location: Støberigade, 2450 København SV

Client: Municipality of Copenhagen

Period: 2006 – 2015

Area: 9.500 m²

Architect: JJW Architects

Engineer: NIRAS

Landscape: JJW Landscape / PK3 Landskab

Sport consultants: Keinicke & Overgaard Arkitekter

Major Contractors: B. Nygaard Sørensen A/S / G.V.L. ENTREPRISE A/S / Lindpro / Jakon A/S

Construction Management: Friis Andersen Arkitekter
Artistic project: Peter Holst Henckel

Photographs: Torben Eskerod / Except “South Harbour School Cover” by JJW Architects