NEW LIFE IN OLD HALLS

The project creates an everyday laboratory for sports, movement, and play at Søndermark School in Frederiksberg. The idea is to open the school’s old gymnasium in several directions – upwards, inwards, outwards – so that its range of possible uses multiplies and the school can become the desired, attractive meeting place for children, young people, families, associations, the municipality, and more.

TRANSFORMATION FROM OLD HALLS TO NEW MOVEMENT LABORATORIES

The project was one of five projects selected for further development in connection with the Lokale- og Anlægsfonden campaign, ‘Old halls, new opportunities’. Cornelius Vöge developed a prospectus in two workshop series together with the management, teachers, educators, and students of Søndermark School, as well as Frederiksberg Municipality and representatives from community life, outlining the idea for the opening of the school’s gymnasium. Workshops were supplemented with surveys among students, studio visits, and expert presentations.

NEW HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL ELEMENTS OPEN THE HALL

The title – Upward, inward, and outward – refers to the main architectural concept that creates new connections and activates other spaces, both inside and outside: A former science classroom is transformed into a social space where users, such as waiting parents, can meet and enjoy a new view into the hall. A large, underutilized attic space above the hall becomes a space for quieter movement activities. These spaces are connected to the gymnasium via staircase furniture with various activity and storage options that support modern physical education, play, and movement.

Outwardly, the hall opens up to both the forecourt and the schoolyard with the possibility of creating coherent movement pathways through the hall and outdoor areas of different characters based on the diverse wishes and needs of children, young people, and adults.

Culture

Transformation

Public

Private

Planning