A significant proportion of Arts’ activities will be gathered in Katrinebjerg, where a new building will be erected to house them. Nat and Tech will then take over Kasernen, currently occupied by Arts, and will use the area for in the future development of engineering programmes at AU. These are the long-term plans for the development of AU’s locations in Aarhus.

2020.07.01 | Signe Opstrup

Photo: Poul Ib Henriksen

The Campus 2.0 steering group has just finalised plans for a major reshuffle of the university’s locations in Aarhus. The School of Communication and Culture’s activities at Kasernen on Langelandsgade will be moved to Katrinebjerg – both in Aarhus. A new building will be erected that will house activities currently located at Kasernen as well as the other Arts activities already located in Katrinebjerg.

Nat and Tech will take over the Kasernen area and renovate it its facilities; it will be a central element in the development of the university’s engineering activities.

University Director Arnold Boon is a member of the steering committee for Campus 2.0, and he’s pleased by the decision:

“This reshuffle will create a foundation for more cohesive academic environments. At the same time, we can also work to develop these locations into state-of-the-art facilities that suit the different needs of the various disciplines in relation to research and teaching.” Boon also explained that the reshuffle will probably be possible to realise in about five years.

Arts gains an important base in Katrinebjerg

When the School of Communication and Culture moves out of Kasernen and into a new building in Katrinebjerg, it will be joined by the information studies, journalism, digital design and information studies programmes, all of which are already based in Katrinebjerg. This will mean that many of Arts’ programmes will move closer to the engineering and science programmes that will continue to thrive in Katrinebjerg. Johnny Larsen, dean of the Faculty of Arts, thinks the move has great potential.

“Kasernen has been a good base for our aesthetics subjects, and it will be sad to say goodbye to it in a few years. At the same time, I’m pleased that we now have the opportunity to consolidate many of our activities in a new, modern building in Katrinebjerg that’s designed to accommodate the subjects’ needs, for example for workshops, theatre and music,” he said.

“The new facilities will also improve opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration with Nat and Tech, which have a lot of potential for the digital technologies, for example. We’re also looking forward to having DMJX as a neighbour. Naturally, the fact that we’re consolidating and strengthening a number of our activities up there on the hill doesn’t mean that the close ties to other parts of the School of Communication and Culture and Arts will be weakened. On the contrary. It will be a good solution for AU as a whole, and a good, exciting future for Arts and for the school.”

Consolidation and development of engineering activities

Taking over Kasernen will give Nat and Tech the opportunity to consolidate a number of engineering activities in the area, while also expanding engineering activities in Katrinebjerg. The existing buildings will be retrofitted and renovated in order to support the development of engineering at AU. Eskild Holm Nielsen, dean of the Faculty of Technical Sciences, is looking forward to the move to the Kasernen area.

“For a number of years, Kasernen has been included in our ideas for the development of Nat and Tech, as a central element in our future consolidation and development of engineering programmes and ‘green Tech in Aarhus’. Moving to Kasernen will make it possible for us to realise this plan,” the dean said.

Relocations, construction and retrofitting in Katrinebjerg and at Kasernen will take place in dialogue with the affected schools, departments and units at Arts, Nat and Tech, all of which will be involved in the coming planning process to ensure the best possible facilities for employees and students. 

Facts about the relocation plans

• The School of Communication and Culture’s activities at Kasernen on Langelandsgade will move to Katrinebjerg on Finlandsgade in northern Aarhus. Along with many of Arts’ current activities in Katrinebjerg, they will be relocated a new facility to be built for this purpose. The decision about the location and design of the new building will be made in collaboration with the affected units.
• Nat and Tech will take over Kasernen and the buildings in Katrinebjerg which Arts will vacate to move into the new building. In addition, Nat and Tech will take over some buildings currently occupied by parts of the central administration (AU HR and AU IT).

More information

• Read more about Aarhus University's physical development and the relocation plans at nycampus.au.dk
• Read the minutes of the meetings of the Steering Committee for Campus 2.0 (in Danish)