Come dancing at the former barracks!

Sønderborg’s former barracks have been given new lease of life. The old workshop building has been completely renovated into a new event and concert venue called Sergenten (The Sergeant). Black Troldtekt acoustic panels were selected for the design to create an intimate concert setting. 

Sønderborg got a new venue for all music lovers and culture enthusiasts in spring 2022. The old garage and workshop hall at the town’s former barracks has undergone a thorough transformation, and the result is a modern event and concert venue named Sergenten as a reference to the military past.

Aabenraa-based ZENI arkitekter is behind the design of Sergenten. Torben Engsig Svan Sørensen, architect MAA and owner of ZENI, has this to say about the project:

“In working on Sergenten, our ambition was to preserve the historical references and to integrate the story of the building’s past into the new function. That’s why it was important, too, that all new changes and additions contrast sharply with the historical aspects, so as not to obscure the narrative. This applies to the design idiom as well as the choice of materials.”

Reconciling past and present

The building has one large auditorium as a concert hall and events venue. Here, the bare brick walls and the raw concrete structure stand out clearly, the latter strongly accentuated by the black Troldtekt acoustic panels.

New elements include a built-in deck with bar and lounge, with views of the former barracks buildings across the road as well as the main hall in the building. 

Sergenten was announced as the winner in the ‘sense of place’ category in Sønderborg Municipality’s 2022 award for beautiful building culture.

Black ceilings for intimacy

ZENI arkitekter had several reasons for selecting black Troldtekt acoustic ceiling panels for Sergenten, according to Torben:

“The ceilings and end walls are clad in Troldtekt because we needed to optimise the acoustics in the large hall, and with its characteristic texture, Troldtekt fits in very well with the raw framework of the old workshop,” he comments, adding:

“The choice of black Troldtekt is partly because of the stronger contrast with the preserved, distinctive concrete beams, and partly because black helps to give the large, open space a more intimate and inviting character, which is especially evident in the lounge on the first floor.”