NEW SCHOOL BUILDING BRÜHL 3, GEBENSTORF
The new primary school augments the Brühl school site in Gebenstorf and creates a coherent ensemble. It is organised as six teaching clusters – in which every classroom has its own group room. Each cluster is grouped around a courtyard planted with creepers that provides natural ventilation for all the rooms and brings light into the entire school building, down to ground floor level. This makes a substantial contribution to sustainable building structures, obviating the need for ventilation techno- logy. At the same time the cluster gardens allow the circulation areas to be used for social interaction without any fire safety restrictions. A robust materialisation concept based on exposed recycled concrete and furniture and doors of stained, natural maritime pine ensures a pleasant environment for learning and teaching for both pupils and teachers.
The facades of the new building interpret architectural themes found in the existing buildings. The materialisation using light-coloured fibre concrete elements refers to the existing multi-purpose hall, while the brick-red sun blinds take up the colours of the brick and metal in the two older school buildings. The facade elements exploit the possibilities offered by fibre concrete: profiled, ribbed, angled, projecting and recessed elements play a variety of games with shadows. The interaction between external appearance and internal appropriation integrates architectural themes in everyday school life in an entirely natural way.
