The world-famous Roskilde Music Festival takes place every year in Roskilde, a suburb of Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital. During the festival, this small town transforms into the fourth largest city in Denmark. The Roskilde Festival Folk High School originated from this event. It is a model institution of higher education in Denmark, offering “informal adult education” based on the concept of lifelong learning.
This educational approach is rooted in the philosophy of the renowned Danish thinker and educator N.F.S. Grundtvig (1872). Glentrey, an advocate of this philosophy, emphasizes that schools should empower students to actively engage in social life. The school’s curriculum spans 4 to 10 months, with students and teachers living together to fully immerse themselves in daily activities.
Roskilde Music School is the first institution in Denmark in nearly 50 years built specifically to embody this philosophy. It deepens the connection to the Roskilde Music Festival by offering courses in music, media studies, leadership, political science, art, architecture, and design.
The project comprises a renovated teaching building, converted from a former concrete factory, two newly constructed student dormitories, an employee dormitory, and a highly adaptable rectangular container structure designed to house innovative startups—most of which are connected to music or youth culture.
These new buildings serve as a dynamic support system to the “lead singer” of the complex, the Rock Museum (completed in 2016), injecting rhythm and vitality into the uniquely charming museum environment.
Jacob van Rijs, co-founder and lead architect at MVRDV, explained, “Like the school itself, our design inspiration comes from the spirit of the Roskilde Music Festival. This spirit is rooted in music, art, activism, but most importantly, freedom. The festival combines fun and innovation in an informal way, creating a unique atmosphere that we aimed to capture within the school’s interior design.”
The teaching building is housed in a former concrete factory, preserving the original columns and roof structure while redesigning the walls and interior environment. The concept follows a “box-in-a-box” approach: colorful modules fill the warehouse space, arranged around central beams and columns spanning the building’s width. Along this path, visitors can access a wooden stepped lecture hall, serving as the school’s public hub.
The modular boxes serve multiple purposes, including a 150-seat auditorium, music and art studios, and classrooms for dance, architecture, and other creative disciplines. These spaces are organized into three functional zones:
- The first zone focuses on stimulating students’ intellectual activities such as writing, debating, and leadership training.
- The second encourages physical engagement through dance and music training.
- The third zone emphasizes hands-on activities in visual arts, architecture, and design.
The two student dormitory buildings complement each other through their simple industrial aesthetic and site-specific characteristics. Constructed from wood and clad in metal shells, they resemble shipping containers. Connected by steel walkways, these dormitories accommodate 2-3 students per room, with each floor featuring bright communal spaces surrounding the rooms.
Roskilde Music School and its campus embody the heart of the 11,000 square meter Roskilde New Rock Music Culture Center, an inspiring hub for Denmark’s vibrant youth culture. The center includes the teaching building, student dormitories (BIM building), and the Rock Museum (completed in 2016), recognized for its striking golden aluminum façade.
The outdoor spaces of the center will soon become key venues for informal gatherings, especially during the eight-day Roskilde Music Festival held annually in June.
Design Drawings
Analysis Diagram
Floor Plans
Floor Plan
Sectional View
Master Plan
Project Details
Architects: COBE, MVRDV
Location: 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Category: High School
Designers: MVRDV + COBE
Lead Architects: Jacob van Rijs and Dan Stubbergaard
Collaborator: Fokke Moerel
Building Area: 5,578 square meters
Project Year: 2019
Photographers: Ossip van Duivenpole, Rasmus Hjortshøj – COAST
Project Execution Team (MVRDV): Aser Giménez Ortega, Julius Kirchert, Samuel Delgado
Design Team (MVRDV): Aser Giménez Ortega, Mette Rasmussen, Emilie Koch, Julius Kirchert, Mateusz Wojcieszek, Samuel Delgado, Gerard Heerink, Andrei-Docu Predescu, Kalina Pilat, Klara Andersson
Competition Team (MVRDV): Klaas Hofman, Sara Bjelke, Rune Veile, Francesca Bechhi, Nas Alkhaldi, Sara Impera
Design Team (COBE): Dan Stubbergaard, Thomas Krarup, Eik Bjerregaard, Caroline Krogh Andersen, Sonia Bom, Marine (BIM Design) Pierson, Jens Kert Wagner, Mikkel Reedtz Morris, Christian Sander, Clement Bue Maali, Milan Milenkovski, Mads Lützen, Simon Engberg Christensen, Morten Andersen, Anis Souissi, Marine Pierson, Tenna Buus Rasmussen, Tamara Kalanajevska, Daniella N. Eskildsen, Jannis Bruns, Arvydas Gasparavicius, Gianluigi D’Aloisio, Jonas Snedevind Nielsen, Jonas Søndergaard
Landscape Architects: LIW Planning and Kragh & Berglund
Structural & MEP Engineering: Norconsult
Contractor: B. Nygaard Sørensen
Sustainable Engineering: Transsolar
Fire Safety Engineering: Alectina
Acoustic Consulting: Gade & Mortensen
Budget Management: COBE / MVRDV / Norconsult
Must log in before commenting!
Sign Up