After this redevelopment, only three of the original five courtyard buildings remained. Their verdant facades form a strong contrast to the concrete structure that was added. Two elongated new complexes, set parallel to each other, house additional teaching spaces and other facilities such as the school hall, a cafeteria and the administration. Between these two volumes is a large central courtyard. The classrooms are situated in the refurbished structures; the western building contains an auditorium as well as workshops and spaces for art and natural sciences, which are daylighted via roof lights. In the central structure is the school hall with an adjoining covered courtyard to the north. These two realms are linked by a north-light roof structure with a red internal cladding.
Some 1,400 pupils between the ages of 12 and 18 go to school here. For the various age groups, the architects designed a number of patios and recreational areas. The access routes and atria were conceived for multifunctional use. Pupils are taught according to the Montessori method. The various spaces can, therefore, be used for independent work or, as in the case of the central hall, for special school events.
In order to complete the project in a relatively short time and to integrate the form of the new structures in the existing school complex, the architects opted for exposed concrete as the main material. In its texture, it tolerates errors in the execution and - appropriately for the task in hand - is durable and requires little maintenance. The surface quality of structural elements such as walls, floors, columns and stairs ranges from smooth to rough. The seating elements in the courtyards and the attendants' huts, with their striking sculptural design, on the south side of the site are also in exposed concrete.
