Berrel Berrel Kräutler Architekten
Orientierungsschule / Vouvry
best architects 15
public buildings
Place
Vouvry
Studio
Photos
Radek Brunecky / Zürich
Description
The new schoolhouse for the town of Vouvry is located on an even plot between the historical village centre and the Rhône River. Housing both teaching and sport facilities, the new volume inserts itself matter-of-factly in its surroundings, which are dominated by commercial buildings. A skin of copper-brass sheeting encloses the homogeneous structure, diffusely reflecting the surrounding green areas. The upper floors project 8 metres all round, creating a sheltered area for students and teachers to meet and linger. At the heart of the building is a triple gymnasium. Sight lines right across the daylight-flooded hall as well as between the storeys visually merge the different areas of the building into a well-organised unit. The division into functional layers is legible in the floor plan and can be experienced spatially through the colour and material scheme. The structural frame is based on the design of a mega-structure. Radial tensile and compressive forces within the floor slabs flow around the open gym area in the centre of the building to form a tension and compression ring encircling the entire structure. To minimise deformations, high-tensile zones are preloaded with tension cables.