Design the new Information Centre for Aarhus Festival and Aarhus 2017

Aarhus Festival and European Capital of Culture Aarhus 2017 needs to design a new Information Centre. Therefore, they are hosting an open competition for students in Scandinavia in collaboration with Aarhus School of Architecture and the Danish Architects’ Association.

Every year, the Information Centre at Aarhus Festival plays a central role in communicating the many activities. In the week leading up to and during the festival week it is the natural meeting place for guests seeking knowledge on what to experience in the festival week and information about the city and its opportunities for visitors. Aarhus 2017 will also need an Information Centre, which is easily recognizable and can be used in several different places in the region.

Therefore, Aarhus Festival and Aarhus 2017 in collaboration with Aarhus School of Architecture and the Danish Architects’ Association will host an open competition for all students in Scandinavia - regardless of study - who are invited to come up with design proposals for the new Information Centre.

The intention of the new Information Centre is that it must be an open, welcoming, temporary building, which in its expression invites guests inside and signals information spots and hub. Director of Aarhus Festival Jens Folmer Jepsen says of the competition:

"I consider it a positive development of Aarhus Festival’s 1:1 Architecture Festival that we can contribute to an international architectural competition. It seems that we have started something that continues a positive development both locally, nationally and internationally," says Jens Folmer Jepsen.

Managing Director of European Capital of Culture Aarhus 2017 Rebecca Matthews says:

"'Let's Rethink' is the theme of Aarhus 2017, and therefore a competition to design and rethink a new Information Centre fits perfectly into the European Capital of Culture. The fact that we through this competition can engage some of the very talented and gifted students in Scandinavia in the project is a further plus, and I am very pleased to see the hopefully many and exciting solutions," says Rebecca Matthews.

There will be awarded a first, second and third prize in the competition of respectively 35,000 DKK, 10,000 DKK and 5,000 DKK.

Read more about the requirements for the centre’s functions and other conditions of the competition on studenterkonkurrence.aarch.dk.

Deadline for entries is 1. April 2015 at 12 pm, and the winners are expected to be announced on 1. May 2015.

The jury consists of Jens Folmer Jepsen, Director of Aarhus Festival; Rebecca Matthews, Managing Director of European Capital of Culture Aarhus 2017; Torben Nielsen, Principal of Aarhus School of Architecture; Andreas Lykke-Olesen, Architect MAA, Ph.D., Kollision APS in Aarhus; CJ Lim, University College London, The Bartlett School of Architecture / Studio 8 Architects.

The competition is made in collaboration with the Danish Architect’s Association and Aarhus School of Architecture