Location: Hanover
Competition: VOF-procedure
Client: City of Hanover
Children, School, Sports – a new building
The state capital Hanover planned the new construction of a nursery for six groups, a primary school and a gym including a tribune on a 12,900 square meter property in the south of the city. The existing school from the 60s was planned to be removed for this purpose.
The surrounding is shaped by the typical housing block pattern. Our design that gained the second prize in this competition is oriented towards this style, but tends to be rather hybrid – a design appropriate for this quarter.
The functional assignment of the new construction follows the development plan. Both powerful volumes – the school and the gym – are positioned at the street front presenting a clear form of the block pattern. The nursery with its single floor is positioned in the background limiting the schoolyard without throwing shadows and giving room to the buildings that confidentially stand in the front. The square-like enlargement at the street corner Birkenstrasse/ Obermannstrasse emphasizes the urban features of the place.
The square at the entrance presents a generous entrance sustainably shaping the square and its surrounding. Existing trees are integrated into the design thus offering green accents. Long seating elements invite to pause and sensitively define a boundary towards the street.
The schoolyard lies – shielded – within the building ensemble between the gym and the primary school, limited in the south by a vertical school garden. A fence with a hedge supports the boundary.
A new path clearly defines the entrance area to the nursery offering a comfortable meeting point with seating elements for parents. The open space is facing south and is protected by trees. A fence is limiting the area here as well.
The design is aiming at achieving a unified impression integrating the volumes into the structure of the surrounding. At the same time, it presents a definite independence. By using uniform materials the ensemble is recognizable, but has its own identity. A red, almost dark purple brick color was chosen for the façade that can also be found on the public buildings of the surrounding.