Schulstraße HOWOGE
New building Gymnasium Schulstraße . Berlin Mitte . Competition 2021
Collaboration
Building construction
Placement in the Competition
Recognition in the restricted building construction and open space planning realization competition 2021

The clear, urbanistic gesture of the block closure is contrasted with a soft, developing school space. The organic design language creates a spatially diverse school campus and invites movement and discovery. Hard surfaces on the school building offer multifunctional squares as meeting places, venues and areas for the canteen and school events. In the depths of the property, the schoolyard becomes greener, smaller and creates places of retreat and communication. A lively contrast is created between intensively used, robust surfaces and paths and a near-natural edge area with a garden character. Green islands loosen up the schoolyard, structure the space and offer a place to stay in the light shade. The ribs of the shell concrete construction of Werner Düttmann's former dining room remain as a matter of course and create a spatial focus as an unplanted, shady pergola in the rear courtyard area. The school garden opposite is also used as a quiet retreat outside of class. The high-maintenance garden character of the entire schoolyard is supported by an underlying rainwater management system. The rainwater from the courtyard and roof areas is stored in planted hollow trenches, evaporates and seeps away. The slow evaporation improves the microclimate sustainably, the seepage takes place through the living soil zone in infiltration systems arranged under the trough. A sufficient range of action areas and dense and robust planting prevent access by the students. Excess rainwater is stored in underground cisterns as service water and used to irrigate the green areas during dry periods.

In its multifunctionality, the schoolyard also accommodates a ball field, a 50m track with a long jump facility and a beach volleyball field. A small grandstand on the ball field also allows the area tobe used for parties and performances. The flowing paved area is used in all areas for exercise and free play. As a contrast to the robust planting, the paths and squares are made of rough and non-slip ground asphalt.

A spacious forecourt opens the school building to the urban space and becomes a place of arrival, encounter and a meeting point before and after class. Sufficient bicycle parking facilities and barrier-free parking are offered near the entrance.