Denmark's School of Media and Journalism – DMJX, Copenhagen

In the beginning of 2024, students and employees at the Danish School of Media and Journalism move into the new education hub in Copenhagen’s Ørestad district.

Category

Learning

Location

Copenhagen, Denmark

Year

2024

Status

In progress

Size

7,000 m²

Client(s)

Denmark's School of Media and Journalism – DMJX

Team

Subadvisor: Dall & Lindhardtsen
Turnkey contractor: 5E Byg
Engineers: Ingeniør´ne

Workstations

800 full-time students, 2,000 part-time students, 70 employees

Sustainability

DGNB Gold and DGNB Heart

Inviting the outside world in

The project’s architectural concept has found its inspiration in today’s hectic media flow, which the students need to navigate. Here, openness, connectedness and adaptability are key factors – and they will be so in the new building as well. Large window fronts in the façade create transparency and invite the outside world to come inside; flexibility in the spatial design allows for changes and amendments should future demands dictate so – and the vast, open atrium connects all seven floors vertically and visually.

The atrium functions as a central plaza with a café, canteen, an ‘inspiratorium’ and room for various events such as concerts, talks and townhalls. Its most stunning feature, “The Green Line”, is a staircase that runs the entire height of the house. Like a verdant wave flowing from the nearby Amager Commons into the building, it splashes upwards from floor to floor, adorned with hanging plants and greenery, until it reaches the top, flooding out onto the roof, where a large terrace offers visitors expansive views of the green surroundings and adjacent city center.

Contact:
Søren Mølbak
+ 45 2720 0591
sm@plh.dk

A vibrant presence in the city

With its unique shape and playful red facade, DMJX stands out in the cityscape and catches the eye. At the same time, it is a building that engages in dialogue with its surroundings.

"We wanted to create a building that communicates with the urban area around it and gives back to its environment. Now that DMJX is completed, we can see that the vision has succeeded. With the large atrium facing the facade, we have created a space inside the building that simultaneously becomes an extension of the public realm." – Thomas Iversen, architect, PLH Arkitekter

Community and creativity

The new DMJX challenges the idea of a school as a sprawling building where each department or class is isolated in its own section. Instead, the new hub is stacked vertically, bringing students together in the center and in attractive common areas such as the library, cafeteria, and atrium. The entire structure is connected by the striking green staircase known as the Green Line.

"We have placed great emphasis on creating an educational domicile that, with a central atrium filled with various study environments, supports community, creativity, and knowledge sharing. Running through the atrium is the Green Line - a green staircase winding up through the 7-story high space. It is the DNA strand of the house and a physical manifestation of working together across disciplines." – Søren Mølbak, partner, PLH Arkitekter

“This is a light, vibrant house, which gives the students the best basis for studying and collaborating, being creative and innovative, exchanging ideas and developing new ones. Furthermore, this is a building that opens itself to the community, respects its location and makes noticeable references to the immediate environment.” – Søren Mølbak, partner, PLH Arkitekter

Initiatives to reduce CO2 footprint

Throughout DMJX, emphasis has been put on sustainable solutions, which reduce carbon footprint, minimize energy consumption and increase wellbeing. That is why the building not only aims at a DGNB Gold sustainability certification, but also DGNB Heart – a separate distinction, which considers health, comfort and the visual ambiance.

The eye-catching "wings" on the facade are not just an aesthetic choice but a solution that contributes to more efficient temperature regulation in the building:

"The distinctive wings on the facade serve as the building's sun shading, helping to regulate the temperature by utilizing light and shadow to the fullest throughout the day. Each wing is oriented differently depending on its position relative to the sun." – Anette Grønbæk, head of sustainability, PLH Arkitekter