Kolding Campus, University of Southern Denmark | Henning Larsen

As the new learning centre of excellence, Kolding Campus will house the courses in communications, design, culture and languages of the University of Southern Denmark. The building is located on the Grønborg grounds in the centre of Kolding close to the harbour, station and scenic attraction of the river. Kolding Campus will create a new central plaza by Kolding River and will thereby form a close interaction with the other educational institutions of the town, Kolding Design School and International Business College Kolding. The shape and facades of the building create a powerful dialogue between the inner life of the building and the outside observer. The facade is an integrated part of the building and together, they create a unique and varying expression. Inside in the five floor high atrium, the displaced position of the staircases and access balconies creates a special dynamics where the triangular shape repeats its pattern in a continuous variety of positions up through the different floors. The activities open up towards the town so that the campus plaza and the interior study universe become one interconnected urban space with a green park at the back and a common recreational town plaza at the front. The building features a number of sustainable initiatives, for instance cooling by means of water from Kolding River, mechanical low-energy ventilation and solar cells. The green areas are tied together in an ecological infrastructure, which will eventually become part of the research park.

The form and the facade of the building create a strong dialogue between the inner life of the building and the public outside. Both inside and out, large art installations working with the theme ‘TIME’ are integrated in the facades and the walls. What appears to be abstract art pieces are in actuality clocks, measuring time with colours, lines and circles of LED-lighting but also working in a balance between aesthetics and functionality.

The interplay between function and aesthetics is present throughout the building. Throughout the design of Kolding Campus, there has been a continued focus on creating a stable framework for the learning environment while inviting students to think outside the traditional frame—to be creative and discover new ways to use the campus as a meeting place between the various disciplines. Furthermore, the play with angles in the central atrium creates new encounters between architecture, art and audience.

The dynamic building form opens to welcome students, staff and locals. The transparency of the perforated facades gives a glimpse of the campus’ inner activities and creates a dialogue between the interior and the exterior. Throughout the day thousands of small apertures in the facade filter sunshine for a naturally but indirectly-lit study environment. In the evening, the inner light pours out from the building, making it appear as an architectural light sculpture.

The German artist Tobias Rehberger has decorated the building.

Rehberger is known for sculptures and installations that alter the way a spectator views even the most banal everyday phenomena. An art committee consisting of representatives from Henning Larsen Architects, the university ,the Danish Building and Property Agency and the assigned arts council of the Academy selected Mr. Rehberger in a competition.