The University Town
From a historical hospital to the campus of the future
Location
Aarhus, Denmark
Developer
FEAS
Size
110,000 m2
Status
In progress
Competition
Winning proposal in prequalified project competition in 2017
Architect
AART (management contractor)
E+N
E+N
Landscape architect
LYTT Architecture
Consultant
Trafikplan
The development plan provides new perspectives on how to convert Aarhus Municipal Hospital into a campus integrated into the city, where Aarhus University interacts with the local urban and commercial environment in entirely new ways - amidst one of Denmark’s most unique constructed environments with a unique homogeneity in geometry and materials.
Enhances the qualities of the location
The consistent composition of urban spaces and buildings clad in red brick has characterised Aarhus Municipal Hospital since the 1930s, but this strong visual identity has become somewhat faded over the past few decades due to new pavilions and additions. With the conversion of the old hospital to the University Town - the site’s original qualities will be renewed and enhanced. The development plan safeguards the location’s historical potential while simultaneously bringing about a forward-looking transformation of this singular place in the very heart of Aarhus; a transformation where the best from the past is preserved and plays a role in the student and urban life of the future, with brand-new opportunities for research, commerce, residences, cafés and experiences, seamlessly complementing the University Park and the surrounding city.
Working with and drawing out the preserved buildings with new elements injects a liveliness into the building, while also making it appear as one of Denmark’s most architecturally distinctive urban areas.Tom Nielsen / Jury member and professor at Aarhus School of Architecture
Connecting the university to the city
The development plan for the University Town is based on four tenets; enhancing the site’s historical potential, connecting it to the surrounding city, having it interact with modern forms of life and framing it within a robust layout. Together, these four tenets pave the way for new perspectives on the interplay between city and university, with the universe influencing the city and vice-versa. And the overarching focus is to strengthen the narrative of Aarhus - nationally and abroad - as a vibrant, attractive university city, benefiting its students, researchers, inhabitants and companies.
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