SJA / ‘The Gang’ school

A base camp for immigrant youths, JDS designed this facility utilizing an unoccupied, former factory building that had been previously infested with mold. The exterior twin-peak silhouette and gables were subject to the rules of preservation within the Copenhagen area, so the project called for a revitalization of the existing building. Thus, we gutted one of the vaulted buildings in order to allow space for a vast sports hall, and then organized the smaller, more intimate programs into the second half. A large garage door installation also allows the south side to open into the courtyard, acting as an extension into the urban realm. Within the existing “canyon” between the two vaulted roofs, a secret oasis of sorts was conceived as a roof deck. Above this space, the studio of Ghetto Noize Records is located in an industrial shipping container, spanning the two peaks. This exists as the only architectural addition to the massing of the building and has become an icon of Sjakket’s presence on the industrial skyline of northwest Copenhagen.