Gammel School extension, Hellerup, Denmark

Architect: BIG
Text: Eszter Götz
Photos: Iwan Baan, Jens Lindhe

Danish architecture studio BIG has completed a sunken sports hall where an arching wooden roof doubles up as a hilly courtyard. The new multi-purpose hall will primarily be for the pupils’ physical education and social development. The hall is placed 5 metres below ground in the centre of the school’s courtyard which ensures a good indoor climate, low environmental impact and high architectural quality. The characteristic soft curved roof wood construction will act externally as an informal meeting place that can host numerous activities from group work to larger gatherings. The edge of the roof is designed as a long social bench with easy access across the courtyard and is perforated with small windows to ensure the penetration of daylight. Solar panels placed strategically around the existing buildings provide heat for the hall. Opposed to placing the hall outside the school’s building – thus spreading the social life even more – the new hall creates a social focal point and connection between the existing facilities of the high school.

Design: BIG
Architect: Bjarke Ingels
Fellow architects: Finn Nørkjær, Frederik Lyng
Project leader: Ole Schrøder (koncepció), Ole Elkjær (szerkezet)
Project team: Narisara Ladawal Schröder, Henrick Poulsen, Dennis Rasmussen, Jeppe Ecklon, Rune Hansen, Riccardo Mariano, Christian Alvare Gomez, Xu Li, Jakob Lange, Thomas Juul-Jensen
Collaborators: CG Jensen, EKJ, Grontmij
Client: Gammel Hellerup Gymnasium