Tired of being a grown up? Copenhagen’s KU.BE by MVRDV and ADEPT is a new type of community centre based around play, incorporating a mix of disparate building types into one, from library to cooking school and gym to theatre. And we love it.
Visitors to KU.BE, the new community centre in Copenhagen’s Frederiksberg district, could take the stairs, but the climbing walls, slides and rope ladders are a much more fun way to move around – and they are definitely not only for kids. A collaboration between Dutch studio MVRDV and Danish architects ADEPT, KU.BE incorporates a mix of disparate building types into one, from library to cooking school and gym to theatre, all with the aim of bringing out the inner child in even the most sensible of visitors to encourage an active lifestyle. “The idea was not just to make a culture house, but to create a whole new typology that hasn’t been seen before,” says Martin Krogh, co-founder of ADEPT.
Instead of traditional floorplans the building has six zones each designed for a very specific purpose, from cooking to sports to meditation. To get from one zone to another, visitors navigate the PlayZone. The irregular space, formed where the various zones meet, has been filled with all manner of unconventional elements that seem more suited to a playground than a community centre.
“It is a beautiful idea, and I hope it can operate in reality,” says van Rijs. “I want people to see it and think it’s cool and want to do something similar in their space.”
“The idea was not just to make a culture house, but to create a whole new typology that hasn’t been seen before,” says Martin Krogh, ADEPT.
INDESIGN is on instagram
Follow @indesignlive
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
BLANCOCULINA-S II Sensor promotes water efficiency and reduces waste, representing a leap forward in faucet technology.
Schneider Electric’s new range are making bulky outlets a thing of the past with the new UNICA X collection.
The Sub-Zero and Wolf Kitchen Design Contest is officially open. And the long-running competition offers Australian architects, designers and builders the chance to gain global recognition for the most technically resolved, performance-led kitchen projects.
It’s widely accepted that nature – the original, most accomplished design blueprint – cannot be improved upon. But the exclusive Crypton Leather range proves that it can undoubtedly be enhanced, augmented and extended, signalling a new era of limitless organic materiality.
As Kvadrat announces its full independence, Njusja de Gier shares some insight on her fascinating and rather unorthodox career path.
Anker Bak raises the bar on healthcare furniture with his collection that has Design with Dignity at its core.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
In Newcastle’s CBD, Coverite Projects transformed a blank floorplate into a workplace with soul, using Milliken flooring to balance industrial grit with residential warmth and intuitive wayfinding.
In this episode of SpeakingOut!, Jan Henderson sits down with Ben Lornie of PTID to dive into the immersive world of retail design.