So like the Danish have like this totally cool new school. OMG, I’m so jealous! It’s like all built around this super sweet open area that can be seen from almost every floor. The floors are like these stacked up boomerang thingys. It’s sooo cool, it’s like a big mall. Oh and they have these super sweet orange pillows for people to just chill on or myspace till your fingers bleed or totally spy on Stephanie. I know she is totally a liar. Anyways, from what I heard, like right outside Copenhagen, there is like this ton of young people like my age (16-19) and so they had to build this massive school. It’s out there in the burbs in an area they call Ørestad or whatever. Anyways again, they call it “Ørestad College”, can you believe that? That means their hoodies say “OC” on them, OMG! I am so jealous. Laters…
Architect: 3xn
The demographic development in greater Copenhagen has resulted in a remarkable growth of the 16 – 19 year group, with Copenhagen needing 50% more study places, and this led to a decision to build a new college in Ørestad City; the new city centre for the entire Ørestad.
Ørestad College offers fields of study within science, social science and human science. The purpose of the college is to realize the latest reform’s (2005) aims to strengthen and renew the students’ professional capabilities, to prepare the students better for university and to enhance the science aspect. This college has chosen a profile of media, communication and culture, and with wireless internet all over the school and with laptops for all students – hence the knick-name the Virtual College.
Four boomerang shaped storey decks rotate in relation to each other like the shutter of a camera. They form the superstructure; the overall framework of the college, and provide space for the college’s four study zones. Each zone is on one level, providing organisational flexibility, with the option of micro adjustment to create different spaces, learning environments and group sizes. The rotation of the storey decks projects a part of each deck into the high central hall. This part is the so called X-zone; a spatial expression of the colleges’ ambition to promote interdisciplinary expertise between study zones with physical and visual links.
The storey decks are open towards a central core, where a broad main staircase winds its way upwards to the roof terrace. The main staircase is the heart of college educational and social life; the primary connection up an down, but also a place to stay, watch and be seen. Three ‘mega columns’ form the primary load bearing system, supplemented by a number of smaller columns positioned according to structural requirement, not as part of a regular grid. As a result, each floor has few permanent elements and can be laid out and rearranged almost completely at will.
