Smidjustigur 11b Reykjavik IS 101 Iceland
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Vogaskoli secondary school extension
Reykjavík, Iceland - invited
The Vogaskoli secondary school was first built in 1958. In 2004 as a result of a new increase in the number of students and changes in pedagogical thinking the city decided to demolish the 1975 building and build a new extension. The new extension is founded on the principles of open schooling. The building is centred on a double-height hall surrounded on the lower floor by library, music, kitchen and administration areas and teaching zones for the youngest and middle age groups on the upper. Divisions between areas are minimised and if necessary are of glass or movable partitions. A grand stair connects the hall to the upper level and this can be used either as an audience platform or a stage. The structure is of two-way hollow deck ‘bubbledeck’ plates with a minimum of columns to maximize flexibility. The roof uses the same structure and is finished with a layer of turf.