Northern Schools

Baby it’s cold outside. Especially up north. But that’s a design challenge that has clearly been won: check out these amazing schools in Northern Europe to see how you can create warm, rich, vibrant interiors even in compete whiteout.

Nord-Østerdal High School
Tynset

Project by Longva Arkitekter

Photos by Hanne Jørgensen

Designing public spaces in extreme climates is a challenge in itself. This school in eastern Norway was conceived with a kind of “sheltering spirit”, featuring a large indoor communal atrium, the equivalent of a “piazza” for long cold winters. Each department has a view into the atrium “to emphasize equality and encourage communication” say the architects of Longva.

Adfolfsbergsskolan
Knivsta

Project by LLP Arkitektkontor

Photos by Åke E:son Lindman

The rooms are organized around open squares that provide supplementary group opportunities, from individual work to gathering of larger groups in the large common staircase. The interior has been designed to turn the whole school into a study environment. Color scheme and material selection have been adapted for a role-filled environment with the best possible acoustics, another aspect in which our rubber flooring plays a crucial role.

Årstad videregående skole
Bergen

Project by Origo Arkitekter

Photos by Hanne Jørgensen

With courses in design, art, cooking as well as hairdressing, healthcare and electronics, Årstad offers a wide choice of possible futures for the young people of Bergen.

The institution today is a merger of two former schools, with a history going back as far as 1883.

Sommerlyst School
Tromsø

Project by Filter Arkitekter

Photos by Hanne Jørgensen

“The school is future-oriented, with a flexible learning environment. It combines the flexibility of base school with the framework of classroom teaching”, says Tromsø commissioner for education Anna Amdal Fyhn.

Fredrika Bremer Gymnasiet
Haninge

Project by Cedervall Arkitekter

This gymnasium calls itself “a bridge”: it indeed represents the union of two former separate schools (one theoretical, the other practical) into a new, ultramodern unit where thought and craft go hand in hand. “A place where new technology interacts with soft skills. A place of inspiration and reflection, where both knowledge and social interaction have plenty of room”.

Tromstun High
Trømso

Project by HLM Arkitektur

Photos by Hanne Jørgensen

Tromstun school is an innovative model in education, combining theoretical learning and science labs with a wide array of physical activities including sand volleyball court, basketball, spinning, dancehall and music rooms – as well as designer items everywhere, from class stools to sofas and chairs. All these amenities prompted norwegian newspaper Dagbladet to ask the question: Is this the finest school ever?