Ordrup School Extension

School extensions can create 'schoolscapes' by allowing for new connections and by opening up new interior spaces. At Ordrup School, the new extension forms the fourth side of a square, making a loop out of what were previously three separate buildings. Its plan maximizes connections between all parts of the old school; a system of short cuts allows for new and flexible ways of organizing the school day. The programme consists of a café, a media library, a music room, teaching spaces and two auditoriums. The larger of the two auditoriums is at once a place of passage and a place of gathering, as are all communal places. The choice of colour for the façade is not just an aesthetic one; it also tells the story of the building, one about short cuts and connections between the different levels of the old school buildings. The window panels on the second level are black - in contrast to the otherwise strong yellow - so they appear as cut-outs between the connective lines of the building.