At the foot of the cliff, Hans Lynge School in Qinngorput, Nuuk, is paving the way for a new district. Built with play and learning in mind, the school blends beautifully into the Greenlandic landscape.
Nuuk
Greenland, Denmark
Nuuk Municipality
2011
700 ㎡
125 M
Building in harmony with the landscape
The school occupies the landscape with its location of the main building at the foot of the cliff and with the home class areas in staggered levels working into and up the cliff. The school is thus visible from all sides, opening up to views down to the area's natural harbour and beyond towards Nuuk.
"The Greenlandic nature has its own agenda, which we have to submit to aesthetically and in terms of construction."
Janina Zerbe, Creative Director of KHR Archicture
Contact
The school is positioned as an elongated signpost towards the district's new square, visible as a centre for the future development of the city.
Arctic architecture
The home areas are drawn as scarce figures disproportionate to the landscape, so that prevailing winds sweep across the roof, and so that snow and meltwater move away from the house. Large roof overhangs protect the house from the weather, and a longitudinal stone drain protects the north facade of the main house from incoming water. The school is thus sought to be both exposed as a distinct figure in the centre of Qinngorput, and at the same time integrated into the landscape and facing the dramatic climate of the site.
