Architects: White Arkitekter
Area: 15000 m²
Year: 2014
Photographs: Åke E:son Lindman, Ivan Brodey
Client: SKUP (School Development Project) Tønsberg
Cost: €68.6M
City: Tønsberg
Country: Norway
Færder Technical High School, designed by White Arkitekter in Tønsberg, revitalizes a former industrial area with a focus on practical education. Completed in 2014, the school integrates public interaction through open workshops and a central area called the “Hanger.” Located between Tønsberg’s town center and its main port, the school offers programs in carpentry, welding, and mechanical engineering, fostering community engagement. The design emphasizes daylight use, featuring large windows, a diamond-shaped roof opening, and a central timber staircase. The building combines concrete and wood for energy efficiency, employing advanced cooling and thermal exchange systems.
Located along the portside of Tønsberg, Norway’s oldest village, White Arkitekter designed Færder Technical High School, a new beacon of educational excellence that revitalizes a declining former industrial area.
White Arkitekter, with a competition-winning proposal, was commissioned to design Færder Technical High School to redefine both the perception and reality of pursuing a practical education. The vision aims to create a dynamic interaction between the school, the town, and regional enterprises, inviting the non-student population to engage with the new space.
The new technical academy is located between Tønsberg’s town center and its main port, a quayside nestled between the widening arms of the Baltic Sea. In an area where industrial buildings have gradually fallen into disuse, this technical school offers an ideal opportunity and location for symbolic rejuvenation. It focuses on practical trades for which the area was once renowned, such as carpentry, welding, and mechanical engineering.
The open campus pathways feature innovative mechanisms that encourage public interaction with the school’s academic pursuits, including an area called the “Hanger.” This central space, with open workshops, mechanical garages, and lecture halls, lies at the intersection of public and student pathways. It allows residents of Tønsberg to observe student work while going about their daily routines, such as getting coffee or walking their dogs. By showcasing students tackling new challenges in open classes, the school and its 750 students become an integral part of the community.
Completed in 2014, Færder Technical High School features a unique vertical sequence of spaces, including an entrance plaza, canteen, auditorium, and exhibition area, forming a large common room adjacent to the Hanger. The design emphasizes daylight, with large two-story windows and additional light streaming in from the diamond-shaped roof opening in the Hanger. Light from the common room’s upward-reaching windows illuminates a central timber staircase, featuring long horizontal platforms with chairs and tables. This expansive staircase, wide enough for exhibitions or lectures, connects various spaces within the common room and extends the building’s full height.
The design of Færder Technical High School blends elements of a school and a factory workspace, with a focus on materials like concrete and wood. These materials provide excellent heat retention and exceptional cooling efficiency. The building utilizes adjacent canal water for summer cooling and features a highly reflective rooftop to minimize heat buildup. The concrete structure incorporates thermal exchangers and efficient climate strategies, ensuring low energy consumption despite the institution’s use of energy-intensive machinery.
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Project Location
Address: Banebakken 44, 3127 Tønsberg, Norway
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
