Students have settled in at Glasir - Tórshavn College, a
19,200m2 (206,000 ft2) vortex-shaped education center that
combines three schools under one roof and celebrates the
dramatic Faroese landscape.
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Image by Rasmus
Hjortshoj |
Located on a rising hillside within earshot of the Atlantic
Ocean and the verdant fells of the capital Tórshavn, Glasir
fuses three schools into one - the Faroe Islands Gymnasium,
Tórshavn Technical College and the Business College - serving
over 1,750 students, teachers and support staff. BIG won the
initial design competition together with Fuglark Architects,
Lemming & Eriksson, Sámal Johannesen, Martin E. Leo and KJ Elrad.
Recently, BIG celebrated the opening of the Isenberg School of
Management extension at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
“This building gives us all the conditions we need to succeed.
It is now our responsibility to get as much as possible from
this fantastic environment. We are certain that our new
surroundings will have a great impact on how teachers will teach
and how students will learn,” says Bogi Bech, CEO, Glasir.
Glasir retains the autonomy and individual identity for each of
the three schools while creating ideal conditions for
collaboration and learning to flourish — an incubator for
innovation rather than a traditional school setting. Shaped by
the internal needs of the students and teachers, Glasir is
conceived as a stack of five separate levels that wrap around a
central courtyard: one for each of the three institutions, one
for food and faculty, and one for physical exercise and
gatherings. The building is organized like a vortex, with each
level opening up and the top levels radiating 30m/100ft out
towards the mossy, mountainous landscape.
"Inspired by the dramatic Faroese topography, Glasir is designed
like a landscape for learning: the central space of the school
is conceived as a topographical interpretation of the natural
landscape — a continuous terraced terrain with steps and
staircases that connect across several levels and merge the
multistory building into a single entity," says Bjarke Ingels,
Founder & Creative Director, BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group.
The main entrance of the school is accessible from a dramatic
bridge due to the steep slope of the site. Students and teachers
are immediately welcomed by the large circular courtyard which
creates a natural gathering point across all floor levels and
academic interests.
Designed as an extension and interpretation of the natural
landscape, the 32m/106ft diameter indoor courtyard with terraced
steps provide generous, flexible spaces for group meetings,
social events and dining, as well as auditorium seating for
larger announcements. Above, a large transparent skylight
shelters the space from the wind and weather of the harsh
Faroese climate while allowing abundant daylight into the atrium.
The inner façades between the classrooms and courtyard are
realized in colored glass, providing an intuitive overview of
the different functions within the building.
Bjarke Ingels continues: “Each institution wraps around the
space and radiates out into the landscape. In time, the
autonomous parts - tailored for their respective uses - will
merge into a true hybrid educational institution that doesn’t
distinguish between academic and manual skills, but focuses on
providing each individual with the most potent possible combo of
abstract ideas and concrete skills.”
Cascading across several levels, the stepped topography merges
the multistory building into a single entity. At the top levels,
the high school and business school cantilever towards the
mountain-range and moorland landscapes, creating a building that
open towards the city in all directions.
The outer backdrop to the stunning Faroese landscape surrounding
the education center is always visible, from the courtyard and
classrooms to the gymnasium and library.
The interior material selection of stone, cast concrete and wood
with different surface treatments form a natural canvas, while
the exterior choice of glass and aluminum creates a neutral
background to the school’s sculptural design.
Seen from outside, the exterior glass façades are mounted in a
sawtooth shingle that allow the straight elements to form a soft
circular shape and blend into the natural surroundings. Over
time, grass planted on the rooftops will slowly grow to allow
the education center to disappear into the Faroese landscape.
Release: BIG Group,