Nuuk’s new city school is meant to be a beacon for the students. On Monday, they attended school for the first time.
On Monday, students at the city’s new school arrived at Atuarfik Inussuk. There were happy faces in the hallways as the students walked through the doors of their new school for the first time and saw the surroundings where they would be spending their school days. Nuuk’s new city school is now fully operational. However, grades 1–3 started a little earlier this month, when they began attending the AKO after-school program.
The school’s opening has been postponed several times. In the meantime, since last year, students have been attending classes at various locations in Nuuk, Nuussuaq, and Qinngorput.
“We know that many people—including ourselves—have been waiting for and looking forward to the school’s opening. We have been very much looking forward to welcoming everyone,” says Principal Dorthe Bidstrup.
A cairn in the mountains
Atuarfik Inussuk was designed by KHR Architecture and covers approximately 17,500 square meters spread across several interconnected buildings. The sloping roof surfaces mimic the silhouettes of the mountains, and the facades are clad in untreated wood that weathers naturally in harmony with the surroundings. The architecture is adapted to the Arctic climate with high skylights that draw daylight into the buildings without causing glare, even when the sun is low in the sky.
“Inussuk” means “cairn,” which is also the logo of Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq. At the unveiling of the new name, Juaaka Lyberth, Chair of the Committee on Children and Schools, and Vice Chair Poul Petersen explained the rationale behind the name choice and its significance:
“When you see a cairn from a distance, it looks like a person. Cairns are man-made structures that were once used for navigation—to indicate direction and the way—just as we hope the school can help support students’ development and show them the way.”
The school has capacity for 1,200 students across five tracks and also houses a daycare center with space for 120 children. It is also intended to serve as a community hub for the town, allowing clubs and organizations to use the facilities outside of school hours.
Opening in October
The official dedication of Atuarfik Inussuk will take place on October 1. The date was chosen to be after the students start school, so that they will have the opportunity to help plan and shape the celebration of their new school.
