Built as a part of the historic army barracks of Sonderborg on a hilltop overlooking the harbour on the Als island in southern Denmark, a former army drill and garage have been transformed into a contemporary concert and event venue with cutting-edge kitchen amenities by Zeni Arkitekter. The old drill hall, constructed in 1940 and expanded with garage facilities in 1968, remained vacant while the other distinguished buildings in the area were converted into a hotel, offices, and facilities for local associations.
However, the neighbourhood foundation, Bitten & Mads Clausens Fond, saw potential in the structure as an event space in continuation to their luxury hotel program expansion. The new concert and event space was named "Sergenten," which translates to "The Sergeant" in Danish, to pay homage to the history of the structure and the former army barracks.
While the external brick façade, concrete roof trusses and beams of the original structure were retained, the interior layout was changed completely. To clearly distinguish between old and new, all new additions and surfaces display sharp contrast to the preserved facades and structures.
The existing concrete roof structure stands in contrast against the ceiling and walls clad in black acoustic panels, which create sombre, uniform surfaces. The floor is made of light, in situ cast concrete that evenly reflects the sunlight coming in through the windows. To highlight that they are modern additions to the existing structure, all window and door openings are framed with black aluminium cladding that protrudes slightly from the façade.
Numerous events, including the significant 7th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency of the International Energy Agency (IEA), have already been held at Sergenten with tremendous results. The project also received the municipality of Snderborg's annual Recognition of Beautiful Building Culture in October 2022.
