Comprehensive School in Odder
- Heide Wessely
Odder is a small town near Aarhus in Denmark. A new school had become necessary for the extensive catchment area, a school that would replace the heterogeneous existing collection of buildings. Five construction firms were invited to take part in the competition, and each of them commissioned an architect - a problematic constellation because it did not foresee any direct contact between these planners and the client. All the more astonishing is the intimate exchange that has taken place between users and architects since the new school went into operation. For the Cebra team, it was important to obtain detailed feedback, on the one hand to gain experience for future projects, but also to ensure that users could exploit the potential of the development to the full. The soffits are spanned parallel to the facades, for example, so that corridor walls can be simply removed to allow rooms to be enlarged. Similarly, the mechanical services can be adapted to permit a change of function. Overall, the school provides a diverse range of spaces. The pitched roofs, reflecting those of the neighbouring buildings, allow many different spatial heights internally, so that users can retire into recesses or alternatively enjoy social contact in the ample corridors, with large-scale gatherings of all pupils on the galleries or the stepped seating in the central hall. Here, north- and south-facing roof lights admit cooler or warmer light into the interior, allowing a special lighting atmosphere to be created. In this development - in common with other Danish schools - children are afforded a lot of time and space for movement. The escape routes, for example, were also designed as jogging tracks; all classrooms have an area for sporting activities; and the gyms are located close to the school hall. Here, pupils can play in the breaks. Similarly, ample space is provided for specific purposes by the open areas between the five fingers of the overall complex.
