SCHMID ZIÖRJEN ARCHITEKTENkollektiv

Description

The Grossmatt school building was built in 1974 to a design by the architect Walter Schindler. Over time, its appearance suffered badly from various interventions. With the complete refurbishment, the disadvantages resulting from the previous measures were rectified and the main entrances to the Grossmatt school and to the adjoining Loppersaal were restructured. The dismantling of the entrance area from 1990 and the development of a more compact design created a new courtyard between the two wings of the building. The configuration of the façade alludes to the original architectural language of the school building. The mighty external concrete supports at the base remain visible and unclad. The floor which houses the school is located above the concrete structure and is now covered in high-quality ceramic cladding. Large format, green ceramic panels with a corrugated structure reference the original, exposed concrete façade despite its obvious ventilated construction and hard mineral-like surface. The most important change is the completely new construction in the interior of a central stairwell with lift. The interconnected plenums create sightlines between the floors while the distinctive stairwell aids orientation. The classrooms are organised in a contemporary fashion as learning landscapes with learning studios and course rooms around a freely accessible «palavrium». The building intervention in the foyer of the Loppersaal was limited to the entrance area.