Colours and surfaces in focus

The school as the village meeting place has been the central idea for the conversion of the former Nørre Vium School into Nørre Vium Sports and Cultural Centre.

The small former school building is now a community centre and daycare institution, and the local venue for sport and association activities. The functions are new, but the school as a meeting point lives on. Hence the project name – ‘Village in the School’. Walls have been pulled down to create more space, while glass sections open up the building. The new ‘school’ has many functions, but is architecturally well integrated, based around the historical memory of the school. Old doors have been retained along with the signs. Tiles and sinks have been preserved – or rather accentuated. By reusing, demolishing and modernising, the building has become a place with references pointing backwards and forwards in time.

Early dialogue
The residents of Nørre Vium initiated the project, which was made possible by funding from various foundations and Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality. The success of the well-integrated project is largely due to early collaboration between residents, users, architects and the artist. Visual artist Malene Bach inspected the building prior to renovation, and selected the colours for all the surfaces during the process. She chose a palette of colours inspired by the building, and applied with great precision to floors, walls and ceilings. A three-dimensional composition brings the building to life and creates cohesion between the three floors. Troldtekt panels have been used on the ceilings and some walls for acoustic regulation. Black Troldtekt panels have been used in passageways, contrasting with the red floors, and Troldtekt panels in the colour natural wood have been used elsewhere to provide a calm, warm surface.