Colorful School in Switzerland

In response to significant population growth, the authorities of the small town of Alchenstadt, Switzerland, which nearly merges with Basel, announced a competition for the construction of a school designed for 600 children. The winning studio BUR Architekten realized the project, which consists of two buildings connected by a large covered passage.

Each classroom has a space for group work, separated by a glazed wall and shelves that allow teachers and students to decide the desired level of transparency by filling the shelves more or less densely. The same applies to transparent partitions between classrooms and common areas. In both cases, architects aimed to encourage users to manage these spaces according to their preferences.

The decision to locate the sports hall on the second floor freed the first level for a large auditorium that acquired a very public character. Shortly after the building was put into use, this space ceased to be merely part of the school and became a popular venue for political meetings, concerts, and theatrical performances.

The facade of the institution is decorated with an aluminum tube structure serving as balustrades for a long balcony encircling the entire building and providing sun protection.

The continuity of this horizontal covering, with distinctive colors in different zones, emphasizes the differentiation between floors and functional areas within the school. Each tubular element, six meters wide and rendered in one of ten shades, functions as a separate pixel. The color play on the facade encourages active perception of the architecture, making the large building appear unified and expressive.

Photos: Simon Menges