Modern inner-city school reaches skywards in Malmö  

The newly built Neptuniskolan in Malmö shows how you have to think vertically when designing new buildings in a well-developed city centre.

The newly built Neptuniskolan, which has 600 lower secondary school pupils in Years 7-9, is located next to Malmö’s old shipyards. The school is being gradually extended, and from autumn 2021 it will welcome even more classes at each year level. The firm of architects Här Malmö AB is behind the design.

Given the high building density in the city centre of Malmö, the design solution for Neptuniskolan called for ‘vertical thinking’ and space-saving architecture. The architects have designed a five-storey building with three recreational areas, two of which are located on the flat roofs of the building from where there are spectacular views of the city. 

Dynamic look

Lockers, benches and windows in organic shapes contribute to creating a light, calm atmosphere in the corridors. Troldtekt acoustic panels have been used as decorative wall elements in contrasting colours to the otherwise pale wall surfaces. Recurring custom colours in blue and red shades have been used to create a playful look that contrasts with the calmness signalled by the furniture. At the same time, the acoustic panels help to ensure a comfortable learning environment, where pupils are not disturbed by noise.

White Troldtekt acoustic panels have been chosen for the ceilings, with each panel contained within a metal frame. The result is a clean stylish look in the school corridors and other areas.

Focus on movement

Movement is the hallmark of the school, its mission being to strengthen learning through movement. There is a playground at ground-floor level, a roof terrace where pupils can go outside in their breaks as well as a parkour course and a trampoline on the roof of the sports hall. The pupils’ lockers and the staff common room are deliberately placed at a different level from the classrooms to promote movement.