Tradition & Change - A School in Sluseholmen
Schools have a long history of change and are constantly adapting to new needs and ideologies. At the same time they form an important part of community through their traditions and daily routines. The project explores the intersection between the school as something that is continuously developing, while maintaining the important aspects of the school as a place of community.
While schools historically have undergone many changes, the importance of the school as a place does not seem to disappear any time soon. Rather it seems to be enhanced as they are becoming more multifunctional and are assigned to be a focus for the local community. Hereby acknowledging that the assets in the schools can be shared more widely. It appears though to have been difficult for the municipality to predict correctly the rate at which they need new schools, causing more children to be taught in temporary pavilions or being moved to other schools.
An adaptable school design and spaces open for extended hours are essential to meet both the demands of supporting the local community and embracing the difficulty in predicting future needs. The design of this school is not seem as a finished creation, but rather as a framework for the continuing evolution of learning, while acting as a central place of community in Sluseholmen, a former industrial area of the southern harbour of Copenhagen, currently being transformed into a modern housing area.