The aim of the new campus is help consolidate the activities at one of Denmark’s largest educational institutions. Covering approximately 27,000 m², the complex brings together the many disciplines under one roof and create links and cohesion across them. The core functions of the complex include auditoriums, multimedia centre, canteen and other shared functions accommodated around a central plaza. Intimate meeting rooms, group workstations as well as social meeting spots and lounge areas are an integral part of the new campus.
The vision is to create a flexible, dynamic, cross-disciplinary study environment where students, lecturers and visitors can meet, knowledge can be shared, and ideas can flourish.
The central plaza located in the middle of the four wings functions as a meeting place for approximately 2,000 students who will be based on the campus. Above the plaza, the building will open towards the sky and draw daylight in, while balconies and terraces will define the atrium beneath the expansive light from above.
On the outside as well as on the inside, the campus has been given a simple but raw look and feel, which reflects the ambition for the building to be robust enough for real-life use.
The Schmidt Hammer Lassen-designed VIA University College expanded its facilities in 2017 with an adjacent 3,150-square-metre office building which gathers the campus’ administrative departments under one roof and at the same time creates a multidisciplinary environment where people from different departments can interact and collaborate. The new building is wrapped in Corten steel with a distinctive façade which mixed with large windows emphasizes openness and allows for a visual connection to the surrounding landscape.
The extension is an open and highly transparent house with a warm atmosphere and strong synergies across departments, connecting both spaces, places, and people.
