Copenhagen-based WE architecture, in collaboration with Sophus Søbye Arkitekter, received first prize in an invited competition to design a cultural center in the city of Holte, Denmark. More images and architect’s description after the break.
The future “Mariehøj culturcenter” draw a clear profile in the landscape. With a new foyer, the culture center will get; a new face that invites in, all people in Ruderdahl’s municipality and a heart that can bring together and highlight the many users and activities in the house.
The culture center merges together with the green landscape: it bridges the gap between the arrival area, the cultural plaza and beautiful backyard of Mariehøj, it opens up towards the surroundings and incorporates the green qualities to the activities in the house.
The house is on the same time a cultural activity center and a well-functioning working place. Through reorganization and rebuilding; better spaces for individual activities is created and a more appropriate positions of the various functions. At the same time more cross field and meeting points are created. It brings together the multiple activities in the house and creates a space where new meetings and activities across interest and age may arise.
The new culturcenter is a single organism with a high aesthetic and functional quality. The reconstruction of the house is not just an upgrade, but a vision for how the culturcenter can meet future challenges and enhance the unique character and common stories. Mariehøj culturcenter should unite and bring together people across the interests and age. It should invite people to draw inspiration from new stories, complete experiences and cultural life version 2.0. The house must inspire and generate both familiar and new interests, promote new meetings between users and staff.
Mariehøj culturalcenter currently consists of many different buildings of different dates and therefore also of different styles. From the classic schoolyard, building to single-plane 70s construction. The new foyer takes the best of the existing buildings styles and introduces a new typology, not foreign to the rest of the building.
Architects: WE architecture + Sophus Søbye Arkitekter Location: Holte, Denmark Design Team: Marc Jay, Julie Schmidt-Nielsen, Hermanus Neikamp, Lawrence Mahadoo, Lena Reeh Rasmussen, Jenny Selldén, Zsofia Horvath, Nora Fossum, Søren Thiesen, Luis Gill Collaborators: Sophus Søbye Arkitekter, MASU Planning, Øllgaard Consulting Engineer, Spangenberg & Madsen Consulting Engineer, Hausenberg Client: Rudersdahl Municipality Size: 8,000 sqm restoration, 800 sqm new building Year: 2010 Images: Courtesy of WE architecture + Sophus Søbye Arkitekter
