Kindergarten in Hirzenbach
In a housing area consisting largely of high-rise blocks, the existing school complex forms a central development. It has now been extended by a kindergarten and a sports hall. Both new elements adopt the cubic form and structure of the low-rise school complex. The clearly articulated facade of the kindergarten, with its projecting brise-soleil construction in concrete, establishes a link with the visible skeleton frame of the existing complex. The kindergarten, with after-school care facilities, is housed in a pavilion-like building with access via a courtyard. The group rooms of the kindergarten face west; the care spaces face east. Cubic roof-light structures allow the entry of additional daylight. The group rooms are closed at the sides by glass-block walls that ensure a certain degree of transparency. Despite their solid structure, the geometric brise-soleils create a spatial transition between indoors and outdoors and lend the kindergarten a quality of lightness. The entire building was constructed with recycled concrete, in the use of which Switzerland is regarded as a pioneer.
