Filsø Schoolroom

Filsø, once one of Denmark’s largest lakes, was drained between 1852 and 1951 to create new farmland. In 2011, the area was acquired by the Aage V. Jensen Nature Foundation with the ambition of recreating the lake as a landscape and nature sanctuary. The result is a distinctive interpretive environment, forming part of Realdania’s campaign Steder i Landskabet (Places in theLandscape), where the Nature Foundation has financed the classroom as part of the site’s architectural concept.

The educational building is the architectural focal point, located in the transition zone between forest and wetland. It follows the overarching elliptical landscape design and integrates naturally into the sequence from arrival to view point. The building’s exterior colonnade mirrors the forest edge and creates arhythmic transition between inside and outside. Large window sections with louvered walls provide flexible light control and visual connection to the landscape, while a fireplace and integrated niches create warmth and places for gathering.

The classroom provides a framework for nature-based teaching – for example, for all 7th-grade classes in Varde Municipality – and is linked to an outdoor learning space and equipment library. The architecture balances robustness and sensitivity in a landscape where 242 bird species and 62 aquatic plant speciesnow thrive. With more than 100,000 visitors in its first year, the project has established itself as both an architectural and interpretive success.