The children of Aarhus now have a unique hall to romp in. Aarhus Gymnastics and Motor Skills Hall, designed by C. F. Møller Architects, combines the best of the sports hall and playground and is the only one of its kind in Denmark - probably worldwide.

The Motor Skills Hall is an extension of the Aarhus Gymnastics and Trampoline Hall. The idea of the approximately 1.200 m2 of activity landscape is to invite and motivate children aged three to ten to develop motor skills while having fun playing. Possible future users of the hall are sporting associations, schools, youth centres, kindergartens, families etc.

Last week, we reported about this architecture project being awarded Best International Design by the UK Building Better Healthcare Awards. Here are some more details given to us by C.F. Møller Architects.

The new university hospital is not a traditional institutional construction; it is a friendly, informal place with open, well-structured surroundings which present a welcoming aspect to patients and their families.
Akershus University Hospital has been designed to emphasise security and clarity in experientially rich surroundings, where everyday functions and well-known materials are integrated into the hospital’s architecture.

The design of the second phase of the Darwin Centre project is characterized by a compelling and strong architectural concept in order to contain and represent vast entomological and botanical collections housed within the Natural History Museum.

The solution to resolving the various Client requirements and to clearly symbolize the world class collection of specimens is the ‘Cocoon’, an architectural translation which forms the inner protective envelope.

The scale of the Cocoon form is such that it cannot be seen in its entirety from any one position. This emphasizes its massive scale. The shape and size give the visitor a tangible understanding of the volume of the collections contained within.
The collections housed in the Natural History Museum are among the world’s most extensive and treasured.

The integrated kindergarten 'Dragen' sets new standards, as a sustainable and pedagogically thought-through design. All components are 'Nordic Swan' eco-labelled. The construction is a certified passive-house, using a minimum of energy. And the children's needs and well-being has been the main driver in the design.

The fundamental architectural concept is a simple and clear geometric form on two levels, with the children’s areas located in the best-lit southern end. The two levels are linked by staircases and ramps which are designed to stimulate and challenge the children’s sensory and motor skills.

Many towns in Denmark have centrally located industrial silos; most are no longer in use, but continue to visually dominate the local skyline.

This is also the case in the town of Løgten north of Aarhus, where the former silo complex has been transformed into a 'rural high-rise', with 21 high-quality residences composed as individual and unique 'stacked villas'.

They are an alternative to standard apartments or to detached suburban sprawl, and are a mix of single storey flats and maisonettes, meaning that even the lower levels fully get to enjoy the views, and that no two flats are the same.

The actual silo contains staircases and lifts, and provides the base of a common roof terrace. Around the tower, the apartments are built up upon a steel structure in eye-catching forms which protrude out into the light and the landscape – a bit like Lego bricks.

The new terminal for Stockholm will provide permanent ferry connections to Finland and the Baltics. c for the new urban development Norra Djursgårdsstaden - both architecturally and environmentally. The terminal, which will have a facade covered with expanded mesh, recalls the shape of a moving vessel and the architecture - with large cranes and warehouses - that previously characterized the ports. At the same time, the terminal has an ambitious sustainable profile, characteristic of the entire development.

Teaching and entrepreneur start-up office facilities side by side – that's the philosophy behind the distinctive extension to the existing 1970’s structure of the University College Vitus Bering Denmark in Horsens.

The new Innovation building is designed to sit on a brick base, in a direct continuation of the existing complex’ architecture, but from there on it bears a distinct different and unique.

The building's dynamic character is expressed via its spiral shape. On the facades, the movement is seen in the glazing strips that stretch towards the sky across the six storeys of the building and create the impression of a spiral sequence, while internally it is expressed via the main staircase in green fibre cement, which runs in a spiral form between the storeys in the unifying internal atrium. The inclined forms of the building also have the practical advantage of allowing a necessary fire escape route to be cut through the building.

Photographs by Julian Weyer