Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects (SHL) have been commissioned to design a sports and culture campus in Aarhus, Denmark

The multi-use community project is a core component of the revitalisation of the city’s western Gellerup district, with local leaders committed to delivering “an inspiring, welcoming and open destination” for residents and 600,000 visitors annually.

The sprawling Gellerup Sports and Culture Campus will include an ‘activity house’ for football; climbing and circus performances; a library; community facilities for local residents; and, potentially, a large public swimming pool.

Aarhus commune and the Brabrand Boligforening homeowners’ association ran a design competition for the project, with SHL’s entry developed in collaboration with local designers Loop Architects, landscape specialists MASU Planning and engineers COWI A/S.

They have envisioned “an inviting building structure that breaks up the city's existing boxy grid with an open, flowing layout that strengthens community ties, neighbourhood democracy and cohesion”.

Covering 10,000sq m (107,600sq ft), overlapping buildings and spaces will create communal areas to meet and socialise.

"When designing the campus, our intention was to create a welcoming place that's open and relevant for the local community, while also appealing to residents from across Aarhus and the world," said Trine Berthold, SHL associate partner.

"In a community as diverse as Gellerup, it's important the new campus be a democratic place that is friendly, unpretentious and easy to move through so that it encourages use by every member of the district and interaction between people of all walks of life."

The winning team, selected ahead of Danish architectural firms 3XN and CEBRA, will now develop a detailed design.

Construction is planned to begin in early 2018 and is set to be completed by 2021.

SHL are currently developing a number of leisure projects across Europe, North America and Asia, including a huge mall in Copenhagen, a major mixed-use development in downtown Detroit and a sports and cultural complex and park for Shanghai.