The University of Kolding housed an old hospital building until a competition was decided in 2008 for its new campus (enclosed in a single building), which was won by Henning Larsen Architects, renowned for their high-tech and energy-efficient solutions. And here, too, the desire to create a “sustainable” environment, combined with effective design, formed the basis of the project.
Semantic center
The new campus is located on the banks of the Kolding River, practically in the very center of the city. An ambitious task has been assigned to him - to become not only an educational, but also a public center: it is assumed that it will also serve as a platform for city events - concerts and exhibitions.
The architects sought to make the most efficient use of the site allocated by the municipality: the triangular building was placed in such a way as to leave free space for residents by the river, while protecting it from city noise. Opening to the river, the building forms a new public space - a square that unites - both in terms of planning and meaning - the already existing educational institutions of the city.
Dynamic facade-clock
The main element of the architectural image is an intricate façade created on the basis of a triangular grid. It works for both outdoor and indoor spaces, combining aesthetics and functionality. Together with the German artist Tobias Reberger, the architects played the theme of time in the design of the building, and the facade turned into a clock: the time is shown by “changeable” colored surfaces, lines and circles of LED lighting.
The façade is also responsible for climate control and optimal lighting of the building. During the day, perforated panels filter out excessive sunlight while changing their position, which gives the building a dynamic appearance. In the evening, the facade lets in light from the inside out, which turns the building into a luminous sculpture.
Learning spaces
The building space is organized around a 5-storey atrium, which serves as the main and largest auditorium of the complex. The internal balconies of the floors are arranged as rows of spectator seats, and the stage can be the ground floor area.
Offices and auditoriums on each tier are organized around a central atrium. Reflecting current trends in education, the building's space was conceived to be as flexible as possible, so the glass partitions separating the auditoriums from the galleries around the atrium can be easily pulled apart if necessary.
Also in the campus building there is an information center, a library, a fitness center. The café on the top floor offers great views of Kolding's historic center, castle and university square, and is accessed via a staircase outside.
Responsible approach
In the project, much attention was paid to "green" technologies. In addition to the high-tech facade, there is also a cooling system using water from the river, and mechanical ventilation, which consumes almost no energy.