Ski High School
ZOA partners with Rambøll Norge in a competition-winning design
Where everything is brick
Creating images for Norway is always a pleasure because of well-organized clients and the quality of Norwegian design. Last Summer, we had a catch-up with Rambøll Norge about its latest 31,000-square-meter educational institution in Ski, located south of Oslo.
Norwegian architects were presented with the task of designing a brand new high school and public library in a populous town where, as Harald Aas puts it, “everything is brick.” So the firm designed a building covered with a long grey brick type that stands out but also fits in the vibrant city center and creates 1100 new places for students of the local community.
Quick turnaround
As a general rule, we’re fast runners. Rambøll is a professionalist in a wide range of areas and a global player with tremendous experience in architectural competitions where both architects and ZOA have to move fast and give immediate—almost real-time—feedback through the visualization process.
In such a short time, we have to keep in mind what it is that will impress the audience, and not what would be fun to do as an artist. The two things can be completely different.
The main goal here was to find a way to tell a story that places the activities of the interior into the focus. We achieved this by highlighting the open-air features and the interior functions as well. Adding atmospheric lights and emphasizing the large windows, we think that the story became the center of attention on the images.
A modern high school
Students of this growing city will gather in the high school: participating in exhibitions, film screenings and lecture series – all driven by a mission of diversity and sustainability. But besides the busy event spaces, the main feature is: thousands of books in the new public library.
The interior features warm wood and some rustic design touches. The use of materials brings warmth and comfort to the visitors.
The project is an invitation for young people who are supposed to make Norway a better place in the near future through their hard work and great spirit. Rambøll, in cooperation with Rolvung & Brøndsted, had a special focus on the needs of these youngsters’ and they designed modern spaces that give the right kind of background for dance lessons, lone reading or discussing Heidegger with your intellect friends.
Project details
Location
Ski, Norway
Partner
Team
Róbert Andrékó
Dzmitry Zhamoida
Collaborators
