we architecture: light box

‘light box’ by we architecture images courtesy of we architecture

copenhagen based-studio we architecture has designed ‘light box’, an extension of an existing danish-style high school in frederiksberg denmark. the project, which won third place in a recent international competition looks to expand the gym facilities of the school without drastically reducing the popular pergola and courtyard spaces. immersed half-way into the ground, the new structure is designed to blend in as an extrusion of the existing outdoor area, a spacious elevated terrace with plentiful exposure to the sun.

gallery above gymnasium

smooth, curving, ivy covered walls encircle the volume – a protruding light box which penetrates the ceiling of the gymnasium below. light enters the sunken space through this glazed void and windows that exist in negative space between the new structure and the existing built environment.

courtyard

sculptural wood forms wrap around the court, transitioning between steps, benches, walls and doorways. an elevated gallery runs the perimeter of the multi-purpose space, providing additional viewing space and further emphasizing the dominant structure that looms above. 

rooftop courtyard

physical model

overall structure

courtyard

windows into lower gymnasium

rooftop courtyard

the basketball court which sits below the elevated courtyard and light box

site plan

floor plan

roof plan

diagram of programs

diagram of retractable roof

diagram