Magical world for children

Sønderborg is southern Jutland’s largest city with a population of almost 30,000. Beautifully situated beside the narrow straight Alssund, it is naturally a popular place to live for young families.

Therefore, it makes good sense to build high-quality daycare institutions and ensure the best possible conditions for the new generations. Midtbyens Naturbørnehus is a fine example of how good architects like ZENI can create an attractive environment for both children and social educators.

The two-storey institution is relatively large, but the elegantly staggered architectural design moderates the perceived scale. Furthermore, the pitched roofs of the seven structures are carefully tailored to the context to signal ‘small houses’, just like in a classic children’s drawing.

Inspired by nature

The institution has room for 130 children, including 35 in the nursery section. The communal facilities include a large communal space as well as motoric, creative and science rooms, play areas and little niches. The communal spaces all have double-height ceilings and connect to the group rooms on both floors. The views within and across the buildings are impressive, with light flooding into the spacious facilities.

The children are divided into eight groups, each with their own room. The youngest children are on the ground floor, while the oldest are primarily based on the upper level. The daycare institution chose Troldtekt acoustic panels in natural wood with a fine structure.

The playground is divided into a number of zones, with ‘safe’ areas close to the buildings and more challenging areas for the older children further away. TT+ Architects have successfully – and empathetically – created a very varied and well-planned nature playground that surrounds the building on three sides.