As part of the redevelopment for Aarhus BSS, the former ceiling was given an entirely new function. Instead of ending up as waste, the old 60×60 ceiling tiles from the former municipal hospital have been cut to size, re-bent and transformed into a wall decoration with both aesthetic and acoustic impact.
The project was created in collaboration between DAMPA, TRANSFORM, FEAS and Aarhus BSS – Aarhus University. The ambition was to rethink existing materials and create a solution that combines reuse, design and functionality.
From Ceiling to Wall
The original acoustic DAMPA® Clip-In Tiles had previously formed part of the ceiling in the old municipal hospital. During the interior design process for Aarhus BSS, the idea emerged to reuse the tiles in a new way – not as a ceiling, but as a dynamic and artistic wall solution.
In collaboration with DAMPA, the tiles were processed so they could be given a new lease of life. The classic 60×60 tiles were converted into three new formats: 10×40 cm, 20×40 cm and 40×40 cm. Each element is also available in three different depths, offering a wealth of possibilities for creating variation and visual depth on the wall.
“It has been exciting to contribute to a development project like this with the users’ perspectives on the solution. It is not the easy route, but it is rewarding to see a very familiar product take on an entirely new expression and to know that it aims to reuse materials,” says Nanna Calmar Andersen, Project Manager at Aarhus BSS – Aarhus University.
This view is fully shared by Lone Rold, Project and Architectural Consultant at DAMPA:
“What is interesting about the project is that we have taken an existing product and given it an entirely new function. The old ceiling tiles are not simply being reused – they are being transformed into a solution that contributes both visually and acoustically,” she says.
Designed for Both Production and Creativity
In order to realise the solution, the new formats had to be adapted to both the architectural vision and DAMPA’s production capabilities. The tiles needed to be cut, re-bent with new edges, lacquered and mounted on the existing carrier rails, enabling them to become part of a flexible wall solution.
The result is a modular system in which the recycled ceiling tiles can be combined in countless ways. This gives architects, artists and building owners the opportunity to create individual expressions while keeping the materials within the circular flow.
“We have worked to find the balance between the creative and the technically feasible. When we reuse existing tiles, it requires us to consider production, installation and design together from the outset, while also thinking about how to make the best possible use of the old materials,” says Lone Rold.
Students Created the Work “Fællesskabet”
As part of the project, an anonymous competition was launched among students in higher education in Aarhus for the decoration of the café in building 1791. Students were invited to submit their ideas for how the recycled panels could form the basis of an artistic decoration on the café’s two large walls.
The winning proposal was the work “Fællesskabet” by architecture student Thorbjørn Nielsen.
The work uses the newly installed panels as pixelated human bodies moving from floor level up along the walls. The panels are composed in three layers, creating a striking cubic relief effect. On the surface of the panels, Thorbjørn Nielsen has added organic black acrylic brushstrokes, giving the work life and movement.
The motif centres on human figures in contact – people seeking one another, supporting one another and moving upwards and out into the world together. In this way, the acoustic wall decoration becomes not only a visual element in the space, but also a story about community, belonging and the students’ own presence in the café.
A Solution with Several Layers
The completed acoustic wall solution demonstrates how existing building materials can take on a new role when design, production and sustainable ambitions are considered together. The recycled ceiling tiles continue to contribute acoustic regulation, while now also functioning as spatial art and an identity-creating decoration.
For DAMPA, the project is an example of how familiar materials can be rethought and adapted to new contexts.
“We see great potential in continuing to work with solutions where existing materials are given new life. It requires dialogue and development, but it also opens up some very exciting opportunities – both architecturally and in relation to resource-conscious construction,” says Lone Rold.
See the Installation from Start to Finish
In the video below, you can watch a timelapse of the entire installation: from the first elements being mounted on the wall to the completed artwork standing ready in the café at Aarhus BSS.
Would You Like to Know More?
Would you like to hear more about the project and the possibilities?
Contact Lone Rold by email at lro@dampa.dk or by phone at +45 2462 7007.
Timelapse video: Aarhus BSS
Photos: TRANSFORM
