School building with clear identity both inside and out

Located at two different addresses, Aabybro School occupies buildings with a clear and distinctive look with folded roof constructions framing the green façades.

Troldtekt, Aabybro School
Photo: Helene Høyer Mikkelsen, architect MAA

The saddle roof is a well-known and strong architectural feature which the architects at CEBRA architecture have made into a unifying yet open element, beneath which exciting and practical spaces arise both inside and out. A large overhang with wooden strips on the underside provides covered areas for outdoor teaching, and reflects the school’s strong focus on indoor as well as outdoor activities. One building houses the pre-school year, primary school classes and the after-school club, while the lower secondary school classes and the optional Year 10 are located in the second building, 200 metres away. The dynamic roofs and facades in their varying shades of green resting on a concrete base are recurring elements in the two buildings.

Unifying structure
Aabybro School has moved from outdated buildings, and the principal Kristine Fooken Jensen is excited about her new school: “The rooms are light and airy, and the acoustics are extremely good. One of the main features of the school is its openness and visual contact across the large atrium.” The layout of both school buildings resembles that of a large H, with a unifying atrium in the middle that connects the adjoining wings. The dynamic roof surface, and thus the ceilings, are perceived as an important part of the atrium’s identity, and create both depth and a sense of proximity. Troldtekt panels have been chosen to create an acoustic surface that makes the atrium a multi-purpose room, and it works beautifully for everything from large assemblies to group work and breaks between lessons. The Troldtekt acoustic panels have been installed in a pattern that highlights the transverse direction in the atrium across the stairways, while wooden lamellae and large window sections lead the eye to the school’s outdoor areas.