School in Alexandria (2017)
„Deutsche Schule der Borromäerinnen“ in Egypt. Worschech architects, Erfurt.


Within the perimeter walls, the terrain rises to a square pedestal as the basis for the two-storey building. The five buildings with the main functions are grouped around a central campus courtyard, the commons. They are placed on the edges of the pedestal, thus shielding the external environment and, with their compositional arrangement, create differentiated spaces of different character.

The monastic motif of the square embodies the spirit of this school as a place of necessary concentration and possible contemplation. But also traditional Arabian elements like walkable roofs, open-work walls and the originally Middle Eastern motif of the enclosed garden. Openness and tolerance are reflected in the clarity of the layout, the efficient and communication-promoting organisation of the floor plans, the readability of functions and the contemporary structure of the building and façade design. Around the tectonic base, growing out of the deeper gap to the surrounding wall, a protective grove surrounds the ensemble. In these, the associated outdoor facilities are embedded east of the sports hall.

From the shaded entrance area in front of the community building, students, employees and guests enter the school at one central point. The auditorium, accessible from here, can be opened on both sides of the atrium as well as the central campus courtyard. In combination with the switchable music halls and the stage space, ideal conditions result with a great variety of uses including the open spaces. Upstairs, the administrative area is centrally located, yet free of foot traffic.

Kindergarten and congregation area are located near the entrance, slightly separated from school operation. This building is directly accessible from the parking bays. The elementary school has all required flexible room allocations. Under a common roof, however, characterised by their central location, arrangement and distinct materiality, the “special rooms” with chapel and prayer room form a spiritual nucleus. The secondary school is characterised by flexible zoning and short distances to the shared departments. All classrooms are oriented in such a way that noise effects are reduced during class time. The gym is arranged and functionally organised on the periphery of the pedestal that hardly any noise disturbances from its operation in the campus area will be perceptible. The spatial structure deals with different ways of working and group sizes. Classrooms for class work are clustered learning fields combined with flexible, open common spaces for communicative work. Flowing transitions between inside and outside and an attractive range of differently designed areas in the sun-protected outdoor area offer a wide range of possibilities for imparting knowledge as well as age-appropriate breaks and leisure activities for relaxation and resting outdoors.

Thematically different, traditional and novel models of landscape design, such as kitchen and school garden, fairy tale forest, tree hall, hedge theatre and flower parterre stimulate the imagination of the students. The interspaces shaded by trees provide passepartout-like views of the surrounding palm grove from an elevated location. A solitaire (sycamore) placed on the commons symbolises continuity and permanence as a “house tree”.

Credits
Worschech architects Erfurt. Individual work: sections and elevations.

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