nyager school, rødovre, copenhagen denmark 1959-1964. architect: arne jacobsen (1902-1971).

another neglected jacobsen project - not least neglected by the municipality. they are letting it fall apart while keeping their town hall by the same architect looking as if it was built yesterday. I guess photographing the building an october afternoon during the autumn holiday does not improve on the general sense of abandonment.

the school is organized around courtyards like the more famous munkegaard project, but you can clearly see that the budget was tighter here in rødovre. regardless of the actual restraints, construction cost was beginning the steady rise that would eventually kill traditional craftsmanship, already challenged here.

the delicately detailed brickwork of the klint school became featureless miesian walls and enclosures. in denmark, it began with utzon's house for himself, the finest local example which was copied as much for its low cost as for the quality of life it offered.

it could be argued that the stripped down modernism of cheap construction only serves to highlight jacobsen's superior sense of proportion - proportions being the one central aspect of architecture which is free.