Place: Aarhus, Denmark
Team: MASU Planning (Landscape architect), Schmidt Hammer Lassen (architects), Loop Architects. COWI, 2+1 idébureau
Client: Municipality of Aarhus
Size: 3.000m2
Timeline: 1st prize in competition, 2016 / Completed 2024
Sport & Culture Campus Gellerup
A new urban heart for Gellerup — where culture, movement, and community converge into a shared civic landscape.
The Sports and Culture Campus in Gellerup transforms a formerly fragmented neighbourhood into a vibrant and inclusive meeting place. Through a strong spatial framework and a mix of indoor and outdoor functions, the project fosters openness, participation, and everyday interaction — positioning the campus as a catalyst for social cohesion and urban life.
A Catalyst for Urban Transformation
The campus forms part of a larger transformation strategy for Gellerup, a diverse neighbourhood in Aarhus historically perceived as isolated and unwelcoming. By introducing new functions and attractive public spaces, the project aims to create openness and draw people from across the city into the area.
At the core of the project is a central square — Verdenspladsen — designed as a safe and welcoming urban space. The square is activated by a continuous presence of people, both in the public realm and from surrounding buildings, creating a sense of safety through visibility and shared use. A mix of users across ages and backgrounds reinforces the social sustainability of the space.
Blurring Indoor and Outdoor Boundaries
The design dissolves the boundary between indoors and outdoors. Transparent façades and carefully positioned buildings extend activities into the public realm, while niches and sheltered edges provide spaces for staying, meeting, and informal use throughout the year.
A Landscape for Movement and Interpretation
A key design strategy is the use of abstract, multifunctional landscape elements that rise from the surface of the square. These forms invite interpretation and support a wide range of activities — from skating and play to rest and observation — encouraging users to shape the space through their own engagement.
A Diverse Program for Everyday Life
The campus brings together a wide range of functions, including sports facilities, cultural spaces, a library, and community programs. This diversity creates a dynamic environment that supports everything from everyday activities to larger events, establishing the site as a new social and cultural anchor for the neighbourhood.
