New school building scaled to context

Sundbyøster School has a new separate building for its youngest pupils. Just like the original, listed buildings from 1913, the new structure is built of brick and other robust materials.

Troldtekt, Sundbyøster School
Photo: Helene Høyer Mikkelsen, architect

The new building matches the surrounding school buildings, both in terms of its size and the materials used. The architecture of the building is extremely open, with roof terraces and large window sections. Inside, the layout is inspired by the urban environment with streets, squares and ‘residential’ areas. The ground floor houses the after-school club for the youngest schoolchildren, including a large tumble room. 

On the upper three floors, there is a year group on each level, as well as specialist classrooms. In urban terms, the classrooms are the residential areas, while the corridors are streets with adjoining lounge areas as squares.

Elegant details
The architectural idiom is simple and functional, creating a perfect framework for lively and creative teaching. The number of materials used is limited, but all the materials are robust and textural. Brick adds a monolithic look to the facade, while inside concrete, wood, linoleum and Troldtekt acoustic ceiling panels provide a fine and warm contrast to the white walls.

Troldtekt ceiling panels are used throughout as a unifying element, while also guaranteeing good acoustics. The panels are slightly distanced from the facade wall, which is an attractive architectural detail. The light fittings in the corridors are randomly placed, differentiating the pedestrian areas from the symmetrical lighting in the classrooms.