v-architekten

Description

Triad of school / sport / culture

An elementary school, a special-needs school and a three-field gym have been linked to an existing cultural centre. The design takes up the scale and grain of the cultural centre and carefully complements it to form an overall ensemble. A new multifunctional and public urban building block has hence been developed for Weinheim’s Weststadt district. The arrangement of the new volumes creates a variety of public and semi-public courtyards with open spaces vis-à-vis the various functions. An interconnected foyer serves for central circulation. The linking of the independent building blocks allows for a demand-oriented expansion of the different uses. The school is divided into clusters and follows an innovative educational principle. Classrooms are interspersed with common spaces to foster future-ready learning. The exterior support structure dictates the appearance of the pavilions, which complements the existing buildings. The recessed façades of the school are painted a warm yellow and the gymnasium a timeless aluminium white, the individual colour schemes creating a subtle contrast between them and also with the pre-existing building. The guiding idea of creating a close link to the community was perfectly realised with the creation of the ensemble. In the meantime, more than 30 extracurricular clubs cooperate with local associations in Weinheim to complement the all-day classes.