'Oosterpark' Primary School Groningen
Onix
-
Status:
Realized
-
Education type:
Municipal Education
-
Education level:
Primary Education (pre-school + primary)
-
Address:
Oliemuldersweg 47, 9713 Groningen
-
Client:
Municipality of Groningen
-
Programme:
Nursery school, day care centre for children, after-school care, library, socio-cultural functions
-
Area:
1000m2
Spiraling building surrounding a patio with trees
The Oosterpark Vensterschool is a multifunctional building comprising a nursery school and a day care centre for children as an extension of the existing Oosterpark school. The new building was built onto the end of the existing school and therefore has a central position in the park. This means that the new school has wonderful views of the park around it and the existing playground could also be maintained. The new wooden building contrasts markedly with the existing modernist brick school building designed by Bouma. The two buildings are linked by using the existing pergola along the pond as the access to the new building.
The new building consists of a floor which is folded around three enormous trees. The floor plate has been placed on a number of columns and is therefore slightly above ground level, leaving the root system of the trees intact. This creates a patio around the trees which opens up to the pond in the park because of the topography of the site. The playground for the children in the day care centre is by the water here and can be accessed from the patio by walking under the building.
The floor plate spirals up along the trees. This results in a number of different levels which give the various spaces their own character. Every group of users has its own space, depending on its needs. The continuity of the floor plate avoids a rigorous division between the ground floor and the first floor. The two floors merge together as a result of the continuous circulation going up in stages along the patio and linking the various parts of the design together. The various rooms can also be reached by a number of shortcuts in the building, such as the sloping path through the patio. This provides alternative routes and means that these areas can be entered in different ways.
At the end of the spiralling path there is a roof landscape which provides a breathtaking view of the outside space. The park, the pond, the playground, the patio, the interior and the roof merge together in a series of successive spaces to form one landscape. The alternating open and closed spaces in the façade create enclosed spaces and frame some interesting views. From the entrance a new gate playfully curls around the enlarged schoolyard of the two school buildings and then merges with the façade of the new building. In this way the element forms part of the design as a whole and a virtue was made of necessity.
As a result of the transparent facades, the park has a strong presence in the interior. The windows at various heights provide smaller and larger views over the surrounding park. Because of the use of untreated materials, the interior is literally linked to its environment. The creativity in the use of materials and the dimensions immediately appeal to small children and strengthen the adventurous route around the patio.