The Light Bulb
Architecture Education Aabenraa, Denmark
22 Images
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1. Plans, 2nd & 3rd floor 4961 px 3508 px 2 MB A4 print |
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2. Plans, ground & 1st floor 4961 px 3508 px 3 MB A4 print |
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3. Lounge niche There are various niches and other intimate spaces throughot the building. This one is framed by oak wood panels, and facing the central atrium. Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4335 px 14 MB A3 print |
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4. Light bulbs as design elements Old light bulbs from the demolished factory have been preserved, and used as decorative elements in the interior glass walss, thereby telling the story of what once was. Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4336 px 15 MB A3 print |
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5. The old factory facade from the inside The gap between the historic facade and the new school building is occupied by extruded glass boxes, with great view to the decorative old wall Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4335 px 16 MB A3 print |
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6. Few visual barriers The interior walls are mainly glass walls, thereby creating a very visually open building. Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4335 px 17 MB A3 print |
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7. Accoustic barrier, visual connection Closed meeting rooms, with glass walls, work as an accoustic barrier between the central, common atrium and the adjacent learning spaces, but maintaining a strong, visual connection. Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4335 px 18 MB A3 print |
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8. Old machines on display Selected, old maschines from the light bulb factory have been preserved, and put on display towards the surrounding, public areas, telling the story of the site. Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4335 px 19 MB A3 print |
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9. Framed view of the historic facade. Throughout the new building, there are framed views to the historic facade. Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4336 px 16 MB A3 print |
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10. Glass boxes in the atrium The facade of the existing school building, that is now an interior wall in the central atrium, has been opened up, and protruding glass boxes have been added. Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4335 px 13 MB A3 print |
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11. Room creating furniture solutions The open learning spaces have a variety of furniture solutions, to create different work environments. Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4335 px 17 MB A3 print |
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12. Vissual connection between the levels In the new building there is a smaller atrium, with a view to the teachers work area. Photographer: Martin Schubert 4336 px 6496 px 16 MB A3 print |
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13. Sunscreen with brick motive A brick patterne from one of the gables of the existing school, has been used in a new Corten steel sunscreen. Photographer: Martin Schubert 5906 px 3942 px 19 MB A3 print |
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14. The main atrium The main atrium and arrival space has walk bridges spanning between the old and the new building. A light installation inspired by the old light bulbs is a main feature. Photographer: Martin Schubert 4335 px 6496 px 19 MB A3 print |
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15. Lounge with a view Informal lounge areas throughout the building let the students relax and socialize. Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4335 px 13 MB A3 print |
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16. Informal learning space A whole class can gather in informal lounge furnitures, for shorter introductions and/or discussions. Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4335 px 16 MB A3 print |
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17. The new building from the northwest The new building with the playfull structure of columns. The large window to the multi purpose hall is framed by Corten steel. VUC is short for "Voksen UddannelsesCenter" (Adult Education Center), which is the name of this sort of school. Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4335 px 16 MB A3 print |
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18. The preserved, historic facade The eastern facade of the old light bulb factory has been renovated, but otherwise kept its original appearance. Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4336 px 16 MB A3 print |
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19. The school seen from the west. The school seen from the small, public park to the west. Photographer: Martin Schubert 5315 px 3547 px 17 MB A3 print |
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20. Old meeting new The meeting between the existing school and the new extension. Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4336 px 16 MB A3 print |
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21. The extension seen from the southwest The extension seen from the terrace in connection with the canteen. You can se the "double facade", with integrated balconies facing the public park to the west. Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4335 px 18 MB A3 print |
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22. The main entrance The main entrance is on the east facade, in the link between the existing school and the new extension, through an intimate courtyard with brick flooring. Photographer: Martin Schubert 6496 px 4335 px 19 MB A3 print |
Description
The Light Bulb, named after an old light bulb factory, that previously occupied part of the site, is a renovation an extension of an adult education center in the southern part of Jutland, Denmark.
The school has, with the new extension, finished in the autumn of 2017, doubled in size and has become a modern, school building, with a diverse variety of learning spaces.
The renovated school was originally built in the 1950s as a traditional, technical school. Gradually the school had become too small to accommodate the number of students, and it had grown increasingly out of touch with modern learning principles. As a consequence of this, the school purchased the neighboring building to the north, a historic light bulb factory, "Dansk Glødelampefabrik A/S", to make an extension possible. The purchase and demolition of the historic factory was allowed under the condition, that the eastern facade of the factory would be preserved and integrated in the new school extension.
The finished result is a unique blend of history, contemporary architecture, and modern learning principles.
The atmosphere in and around the building is on the one hand unmistakably modern, but on the other hand, very true to the historic context.
The old school has been extensively renovated and modernized, with only, apart from the extension, a few new additions to the outside of the building. All the additions are emphasized by a Corten steel cladding, as to not disturb the perception of the original school building.
The extension has a playful structure of columns and patterned brickwork, to the west, and is distinctly different from the existing school building.
To the east, it is the facade of the old factory, that is still the face towards the intimate courtyard. To avoid the issues of different levels in the existing school and the historic factory, and the structural integrity of the old façade, there is a 3 m gap between the old façade and the new building. The gap is occupied by glass boxes for meetings, group projects and/or concentrated work, extruding from the new building.
The project has drawn a lot of attention and recognition, for example it was awarded the biannual architecture award of the local municipality, and it was nominated for the prestigious “School Building of the Year Award” (“Årets Skolebyggeri”), both in 2018.
Questions and Answers
What was the brief?
The school, VUC Aabenraa, made an architectural competition, which was won by ZENI arkitekter a/s, a local architectural firm, in 2014. The project was to renovate and extend their existing school building, located centraly in the old, Danish town of Aabenraa. The project was to be divided into two stages. In the first stage, the old factory, that occupied the site of the extension, would be demolished, except from the eastern façade, that had historic value to the city, and a new school building would be erected in its place. In the second stage, the old school was to be extensively renovated and modernized, and the gap between the two school buildings would be filled out by a new building, linking them physically together, thus finally creating one, conjoined school.
What were the key challenges?
The key challenges of the project were the preservation of the historic factory façade, and the challenge of extending the existing school in a way, that would create a school, that on one hand would be conceived as a whole, but on the other hand would respect the scale and character of the surrounding city.
How is the project unique?
The historic elements from the old light bulb factory, as well as the location in the old town center, have had a large impact on the design strategy. The aim was to benefit from the history of the place, to be able to create spaces and atmospheres out of the ordinary, and distinctly, unique to the specific site. For example, some of the old machines from the light bulb fabrication have been preserved, and showcased in and around the school and the adjacent park.
How is the project unique?
The historic elements from the old light bulb factory, as well as the location in the old town center, have had a large impact on the design strategy. The aim was to benefit from the history of the place, to be able to create spaces and atmospheres out of the ordinary, and distinctly, unique to the specific site. For example, some of the old machines from the light bulb fabrication have been preserved, and showcased in and around the school and the adjacent park.
What were the solutions?
The solution to the challenge with the preserved façade, was not to try to integrate it in the new building, but instead to let it be a free-standing element of its own right. The façade appears unchanged from the outside, with the original, single pane windows still in place. On the inside, large windows in the façade of the new building, frame the back side of the old façade, with all its historic scars, different colours and exposed, cut of beams, thus letting the historic façade be a decorative and character giving element.
The challenge of doubling the size of the existing school, while not creating a building, that would be too much out of scale, compared to the context of the surrounding city, and thereby risking destroying its charming atmosphere, was solved by giving the extension its own, unique, architectural character on the outside, while focusing on letting the existing and the new building blend more seamlessly together on the inside. On the outside, the two buildings are only architecturally linked by the use of brick, and selected elements in Corten Steel. On the inside, the same materials are used throughout, in the new building and in the renovation of the existing building, thus creating a similar atmosphere. The large, open learning spaces, with only relatively few, closed class rooms, are also prevalent throughout, after the extensive renovation and modernization of the interior of the existing school building from the 1950’ies.
Details
| Project size | 6550 m2 |
| Site size | 7850 m2 |
| Completion date | 2018 |
| Building levels | 4 |
Project team
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ZENI arkitekter a/s | Architect |