Møllevang School, Aarhus - Extension and modernisation

In 2003 part of Møllevang School in Aarhus burned down. It has now been rebuilt as "the green city school".

Address: Møllevangs Allé 20, DK-8210 Aarhus V
Size: New property: approximately 3,000 m²; rebuilding: approx. 5,000 m²
Construction: 2005
Client: Aarhus Municipality
Architect: Arkitema
Landscape: Arkitema
Engineers: Viggo Madsen A/S
Building contractor: NCC Denmark A/S

The green city school arises by opening up for a closer interplay between the exterior and interior, allowing the green surroundings to become visible everywhere in the school.

The school acquires the structure of a small school within a big school; a structure that is comparable with that of a city. Each of the three streams into which the school's classes are divided is like an independent neighbourhood, where the students experience a secure and familiar environment. Each of these neighbourhoods has local squares which form the hub of daily life. Both the existing west wing and the new east wing are broken by these local squares, which present the green construction elements to their environment. Trellises and climbing plants here emphasise the school's green character. Besides acting as the school's common and local meeting-places, they also allow an interplay between the interior and the exterior.

The school's common functions lie at its centre, which forms a dynamic and diverse meeting-place. The new three-storey-high "greenhouse" housing the school's Educational Service Centre is linked to the central wing and protrudes into the schoolyard. Two smaller ”green” buildings containing teaching environments are also attached to the greenhouse.

Prior to the fire, Møllevang School possessed a classic symmetrical infrastructure, with three wings surroundings an undulating landscape area. The disciplined, classic aspect is softened by the interplay between the stringent redbrick buildings and the undulating landscape; and thus arises the fine and humane architecture that characterises Møllevang School. The west wing is being rebuilt to retain this expression outwardly.

Inwardly, new flexible physical surroundings are being created to support the school's educational ideals. These are naturally also reflected in the exterior in new and distinctive structural elements, which support the vision of a green city school in close dialogue with its surroundings.

Digital wells of knowledge

The restoration of Møllevang School provides a unique opportunity to implement creative IT.

The "wells of knowledge" consist of interactive floors which are integrated into the school's central areas. Each well of knowledge forms an interactive work surface and a window on the world, by allowing co-operation and knowledge sharing to take place across the boundaries of geographical distance – both internally, between the school's various streams, and externally, with other educational institutions, workplaces and cultural institutions.

The well of knowledge is intended to be a central meeting-place, where students and teachers can co-operate and jointly attain new educational horizons by communicating with each other via the floor's digital, interactive "water". The well of knowledge is analogous to Mimer's well, the source of all knowledge in Nordic mythology, in which Odin sacrificed one of his eyes in order to gain eternal wisdom.
The interactive wells of knowledge are located on the school's three central squares, where they help to support studies and knowledge-sharing among teachers and students. They comprise interactive 3 x 4 m floor surfaces; from the bottom of the "wells", images are projected up onto the floor surface.

This interactive graphic screen helps to support and initiate new projects and exciting games, and can present and process information from ongoing projects, the intranet and the Internet. The well of knowledge is thus both a work surface and a window on the world; it promotes teamwork between the school's squares, and co-operation with the surrounding world.

The interactivity of the wells of knowledge can be controlled in various ways: interaction with the images is possible through the registration of the position of physical objects on the surface, or through heat radiation or pressure. In contrast to existing IT resources, the "wells" thus provide immediate physical and group-oriented interaction. The interactive wells of knowledge are a multi-functional supplement to the school's other IT facilities.

The well of knowledge can assist many aspects of study and play: the large digital surface allows students to physically express themselves in a digital environment. An interactive dance floor, digital scenery for theatrical productions, and games with physical activities and digital objects are just a few of the possibilities for digital play and study.

Møllevang School is an ideal demonstration project, because the school is already actively participating in the ISIS project (iSchool – the Interactive Classroom). The idea of the interactive well of knowledge was jointly developed by a number of companies and institutions in association with the ISIS research project.

All of the companies and institutions involved are contributing their knowledge, commitment and manpower to the project.

The "wells of knowledge" received the Red Dot Award 2007.