Soppelsa Architekten

Description

The school complex has been restructured through two interventions at the periphery of the site. In the first phase, the secondary school building on the eastern edge of the site was extended with an annex. In the second phase, the existing residential building on Steinlerstrasse was replaced by a three-storey preschool and after-school childcare building. The new building marks the entrance to the site from Steinlerstrasse and forms the «new face» of the school complex. In terms of spatial perception and presence, the new building reads as a new counterpart to the distinctive old schoolhouse. The design of the building on all sides, with its indentations and setbacks, contributes to an appropriate sense of address and integration into the village context. The lower entrance level accommodates the after-school childcare facilities and school administration offices. The upper entrance level forms the entrance to the preschool units and connects to the existing Steinler preschool building and its outdoor area. The upper floor houses a third preschool unit as well as specialised rooms for school use. Hybrid construction was chosen for the new building. A cast-in-place concrete core accommodates circulation, toilets and the lift system. All other rooms are arranged in a ring around the concrete core and constructed in timber. Finely profiled and curved vertical pilaster strips rhythmically articulate the length of the façades and express the internal structure on the exterior.