The square structure of the new building with assembly hall and classrooms forms the new centre of Bärlet School. The new structure is connected to the existing school buildings via a large public square, which has also been redesigned. The central square with the adjoining auditorium structures and unifies the school complex and gives it a sense of belonging and identity. The existing height difference in the terrain is used to unite the various functions, the classroom level and the assembly hall, into one central building.
Within, various flexible rooms are inserted, which by means of movable elements can be connected to form one large flowing space or separated into individual spatial areas. The assembly hall occupies the centre of the square floor plan.
Arranged on different levels, the various areas are treated according to their specific requirements, as is reflected in their individual expression and materialisation as well as in their relationship to the outdoor area.
The kindergarten and first grade classroom is conceived as a large generous room opening out onto an enclosed garden in the sense of a hortus conclusus. Mobile elements can be used to partition off areas in the interior. Diagonally placed concrete columns echo the trees in the garden and playfully mediate between the interior and exterior areas.
Bärlet Hall opens onto the public square that connects the main school buildings to the new hall. A deep overhang shades the glazed facade and creates a covered outdoor space on the square.
