Play & learning

Jørn Utzon’s distinctive style helped establish Denmark as a world-famous architect- and design nation, and at Utzon Center, we now convey and develop his work further under the theme 'Architecture is fun'.

Activities for families

Design with LEGO – Enter Minecraft

We take play and learning with Lego and new technology seriously – the right way.

We take architecture, all our white LEGO bricks, and the latest virtual reality technology to a new level when we play and learn in our special 'Design with LEGO – enter Minecraft'-workshops. Come by and get smarter as you play.

The workshop is open on weekends and school holidays.

About Architecture is fun

Children from all around Denmark now have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the world-renowned architect Jørn Utzon. His distinctive style helped establish Denmark as a world-famous architect and design nation.

In the summer of 2017, Nordea-fonden granted 11 million Danish kroner to Utzon Center in Aalborg. The aim is to make architecture fun for 50.000 kids during the next four years.

The Sydney Opera House was only actualised because of Jørn Utzon’s ability to challenge the engineers’ structural calculations by building handcrafted models. Jørn Utzon has helped make Denmark a creative design-nation, and the project at Utzon Center finds its point of departure in Utzon’s working method, while adding all the new technical possibilities of today. This means that the project allows children to learn mathematics and natural sciences by using their heads as well as their hands, print in 3D, draw beautiful drawings, build models, receive help from a robot, or discover geometry in virtual reality.

The distinctive feature of the project is that it links creativity and the natural sciences. This means that architecture, mathematics, and technology is played with and learned at the same time. 

“Children and young people should experience architecture as a creative, visual game in which they are able to create something with both head and hands. This will offer a tangible understanding of- and entry into the world of architecture“
– Henrik Lehmann Andersen, managing director at Nordea-fonden

This encounter with Jørn Utzon is only the beginning, and this part of the project is developed in collaboration with DR Skole. Afterwards, we host special exhibitions with Wikke Rasmussen, the experimental laboratory Techstronaut, developed with engineers from Aalborg University, a creative math camp in Aalborg, and the project’s very own YouTube channel with kids as journalists and youtubers. This happens at Utzon Center, in the classrooms of Aalborg, and as continuing education of teachers all over Denmark.
 

“We are exceptionally happy and proud of the support from Nordea-fonden. There is an unseen potential in the combination of play and learning in the acquisition of mathematical and natural scientific knowledge. We wish to challenge how architecture is conveyed and learned in the reality of a new generation.”
– Lasse Andersson, creative director at Utzon Center

Thus, the lessons for the students will both be conducted on digital, virtual platforms and by hand in the physical space. The comprehensive project is composed of five main activities, which are realised together with strong, local and national collaborators - Danish Broadcasting Corporation, the Aalborg Municipality School Administration, Aalborg University, UCN, VIsitAalborg, and Kunsten Museum of Modern Art Aalborg being among them.