La escuela en la llanura - Escuela de Nuuk

The stark beauty of the Greenlandic landscape inspired Vega’s design for Nuuk School. Vega aimed to connect the city with the mountains and the tundra, while creating outdoor spaces that satisfy children’s need for a safe and functional school environment. The city’s cultural center is just to the west of the school, while to the east, residential standalone houses give way to tundra. This placement gives the school its name, Atuarfik Nasarsuaq, or “School in the Tundra”.

Innovative open water channels lead meltwater away from the buildings, a nature-based solution that mimics natural valleys. In Nuuk, the bedrock is very close to the surface, necessitating the use of dikes rather than pipes to move surface water. The dikes define an informal but clear boundary between school and city, and inspire unique opportunities for play and learning. The school’s outdoor spaces, a series of courtyards, are organized around a central water dike, which functions as a play element when both wet and dry.

Together, the courtyards define a transitional space from the busy city to the open tundra. Close to the building is a screened courtyard featuring a deck for outdoor learning in the summer. Robust worktables expand the possibilities, while the steps down from the deck function as a social sitting area. Playhouses and tool sheds provide opportunities for structured play. The westernmost courtyard is a plaza that echoes the city. It faces the afternoon sun and includes another set of sitting steps. The northern and eastern courtyards open out with unprogrammed natural terrain that brings the tundra right up to the feet of the buildings, while a path system allows natural flow in and out of the school.

The built project performs its function well. An early spring site visit found the new play structures dusted with snow, with children climbing on them. The cast concrete paths were smooth, and the geometry of the space harmonized with the city, the town and the distant mountains.