Inauguration of New Middle School with Focus in Nutrition and Exercise - C.F. Møller. Photo: C.F. Møller Architects / Mads Mandrup
Inauguration of New Middle School with Focus in Nutrition and Exercise - C.F. Møller. Photo: C.F. Møller Architects / Mads Mandrup
30.9.2021

Inauguration of New Middle School with Focus in Nutrition and Exercise

The New Islands Brygge School in Copenhagen will be officially opened on Friday 1 October, but the first pupils have already entered the new school, whose focus in nutrition and exercise is clearly supported by the architecture.

 

Located between Islands Brygge, the Port of Copenhagen and Amager Commons, the new school for middle school pupils will be inaugurated with speeches from Head of School Aase Hammer, children and youth mayor Jesper Christensen and culture and leisure mayor Francisca Rosenkilde from the Municipality of Copenhagen, and some of the school's students, who have already tried the school in practice for about a month.

Inauguration of New Middle School with Focus in Nutrition and Exercise - C.F. Møller. Photo: C.F. Møller Architects / Mew

- It is great to see how the children have welcomed the school as we had hoped for, and we are pleased with the cooperation we have had with MT Højgaard, the Municipality of Copenhagen and the school itself to develop this school with its distinct focus and unique location in Copenhagen, says Lone Wiggers, Partner and Architect at C.F. Møller Architects, who designed the concept of the school in collaboration with Tredje Natur. C.F. Møller Architects took over the further development and design of the school after the concept phase.

Inauguration of New Middle School with Focus in Nutrition and Exercise - C.F. Møller. Photo: C.F. Møller Architects / Mads Mandrup

Shaped by location and purpose

The school's special focus enable pupils to relate theoretical teaching with physical, sensory and experience-based learning. This type of learning has given shape to New Islands Brygge School.


- We have created an environment where both the setting and the teaching are centred around the oldest pupils. Teachers with special expertise are in charge of teaching, which takes place in project rooms rather than the traditional classroom. This challenges the children and gives them more responsibility. At the same time, it has also been important not to create a "mini-gymnasium". There must also be room for play and creativity, because it is still a school for children - just the bigger ones. I think the pupils have really welcomed the new school," says Head of School Aase Hammer.


The building takes its triangular shape from the adjacent city, port and commons, which each serve as inspiration for the choice of materials and colours.


Since food is a key element of the school's identity, the dining hall is the central room. The double-high-ceilinged dining hall is not just the canteen, but also the hub which interconnects all of the school's functions. This makes the dining hall the gathering point where pupils can meet across the school's many activities.

Since movement is another focus area for the school, it is important that the school's architecture stimulates physical activity and play. This is achieved in particular through the building's dynamic spiraling design which, with a staircase motif, issues an invitation up to the school's active rooftop area. The roof landscape gives access to several of the school's functions, so that pupils can take a fun and active short cut across the roof.

 

The top part of the roof is the sports area, with ample opportunity for physical activity on the running track, in the parkour area, or in the enclosed ball pitch.

Inauguration of New Middle School with Focus in Nutrition and Exercise - C.F. Møller. Photo: C.F. Møller Architects / Mads Mandrup

Outside and inside are connected
The school's interior and outdoor spaces are designed to be in close contact with each other. Each class therefore has direct access to the rooftop landscape, while the school's natural science area is connected to a rooftop zone with a biology garden, hothouse for physics and chemistry, and gardens that are used in cookery lessons.

 

- We have worked on the relationship between inside and outside. In addition to the school's outdoor areas being used for teaching, the idea is also to inspire children to explore the nature found on Amager Commons as a part of their lessons, and there is a view of the common from the rooftop area, which is also the children's schoolyard, says Lone Wiggers.

 

Project Description
Press Release Municipality of Copenhagen

Inauguration of New Middle School with Focus in Nutrition and Exercise - C.F. Møller. Photo: C.F. Møller Architects / Mads Mandrup

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