Creating a harmonious composition, the extension incorporates the principles of the existing building and redefines the school’s relationship with its context. On the street, a sculpted volumetry announces the new hall, as well as the social and active functions. On the courtyard side, transparency and color are more expressed, offering a personalized character to the institution.
The two buildings are built around a vast central staircase covered in natural light and the radiance of colors. The entrance hall, by its size and opening, creates a generous and friendly transition space between the neighborhood, the daycare service, and the schoolyard.
The extension follows the existing building principles: a simple rectangular volume with a brick façade, the proportions of which are dictated by a typical class floor of standard dimensions, with a central corridor.
The ground floor of the expansion is developed in a more open and dynamic way. A series of subtractions sculpt the volume to define significant and functional places, namely: the new reception hall and its large exterior forecourt, the daycare service-connected to both the street and the schoolyard, as well as the gymnasium.
The facade affirms the institutional character of the building. To keep a coherent whole, a similar brick facade was chosen.
Aluminum panels in different shades of red and orange, create a link with the red color of the existing doors and windows, but also with the surrounding context, which contains ‘plexes’ in brick of different shades of clay. This colorful facade makes its presence a principal element in the interior of the lobby and also subtly asserts itself on the street outside.
Photographs: Stéphane Brügger
Source: v2.com
