CF Moller covers Copenhagen school in 12,000 solar panels

Blue-tinged solar panels almost completely cover this school that Scandinavian firm CF Møller has completed on Copenhagen's waterfront, providing half of the electricity needed to power the building.



CF Møller designed the Copenhagen International School for Nordhavn - a harbour currently under renovation in the Danish city.

Thousands of solar panels enveloping the stacked-block formation of the school are tilted in opposing directions to reflect light in different ways, creating a pixellated-like pattern on the exterior in blue hues that resonate with the water in front.

In total, the panels are designed to provide 50 per cent of the school's electricity.



"The school building's unique facade is covered in 12,000 solar panels, each individually angled to create a sequin-like effect, which will supply more than half of the school's annual electricity consumption," said the firm in a statement.

With solar panels covering a total area of 6,048 square meters, the project is "one of the largest building-integrated solar power plants in Denmark," according to the architects.



Accommodating 1,200 pupils, the school is segmented into four towers of different scales, which range from five to seven storeys. Each one caters to one of the four different stages of the International Baccalaureate, which includes students from ages three to 19.

Beneath the four towers, a podium is occupied by the school's communal areas, such as the foyer. It also includes a library and performance facilities, the dining area, which features bleacher-style seating, and a sports hall with large windows to the water.

A playground is set on the roof of the ground floor volume to benefit from views across the harbour.



CF Møller, which won a competition to design the Copenhagen International School in 2013, was recently given the Iconic Award 2017 for the project.

Last year, the firm also won a contest to build three floating classrooms to provide an "aqua learning" and water-sports training space to accompany the school.

Both projects form part of the redevelopment of the Nordhavn district, a former industrial area of the city that is being converted into a new district.

Other developments in the area include COBE's transformation of a grain silo into an apartment block with faceted facades and Arcgency's adaptation of an industrial coal crane into a luxury two-person retreat.

Newsletter

Coimbatore's GT Holidays executes an exotic honeymoon for star couple Nayantara and Vignesh Sivan in Spain

Vignesh Shivan and Nayanthara have taken the internet by storm with their pictures from the honeymoon to Spain from exot...

Slender pine slats enclose Evans Tree House in Arkansas by Modus Studio

American firm Modus Studio has used steel and heat-treated pine to build an "alive and mysterious" treehouse i...

Newly built townhouses in Melbourne channel art deco architecture

Cera Stribley Architects teamed with interior design studio The Stella Collective on a series of eight, three-storey tow...

World Book Day 2019: History, theme, and significance

World Book Day 2019: Books are known to be the bridge between the past and the present, and play an important role in co...

Reflect on the best mirrored buildings from around the world via our Pinterest board

We've updated our Pinterest board dedicated to mirrored buildings, including a mirrored toilet on one of Norway&#03...

Tracing the history of Kashmiri art painters

What is the link between Kashmir and Buddhism? History traces the link to seventh century, when Chinese Buddhist monk Xu...