Slovenian studio Arhitektura Jure Kotnik have completed this colourful extension to a Kindergarten in Ljubljana.
Called Kindergarten Kekec, the building has rotating vertical shutters over the glazed facade, painted in bright colours on one side and plain wood on the other.
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Photographs are by Miran Kambič.
The information that follows is from the architects:
KINDERGARTEN KEKEC
Kindergarten Kekec is an extension of a typical Slovene prefab kindergarten from the 1980s. Situated in one of Ljubljana's residential areas, Kekec answers the growing demand for kindergartens. This comes as a result of Ljubljana having witnessed considerable population growth as well as legislative changes and a planned increase in building density inside the highway ring surrounding the city.
The construction is made from prefabricated wood and was built in three days only.
The main design concept derives from the existing kindergarten's lack of play equipment.
The new façade solves this weakness by offering a play element along all three exterior walls.
It consists of dark brown roughcast and timber slats revolving around their vertical axe.
The slats are the colour of natural wood on one side but painted into nine different bright colours on the other side.
Aside from serving as a shading element, the toy slats provide for children's play and learning: as the children manipulate the colourful wooden planks they get to know different colours, experience wood as a natural material and constantly change the appearance of their kindergarten, all at the same time.
The new kindergarten annex is attached to the south side of the existing building and stretches into the garden, which has enlarged the volume by an additional 130m2 of playroom surfaces. Playrooms are compact but allow for the furniture to be arranged in various formations.
Daylight floods the interior from three sides as well as the roof.
Located between the two playrooms, washrooms have large glass openings, which visually increase their volume as well as ease tutor supervision. Wardrobes in the narrow cloakroom are made from pure natural wood.
Wardrobes in the narrow changing room are made from pure natural wood and have pull-out boxes for shoes in all the colours of the façade, which function as a space saver, since they also serve as a bench.
Architect: Arhitektura Jure Kotnik
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Project team: Jure Kotnik, Andrej Kotnik
Client: Mestna občina Ljubljana
Structural Engineering: CBD d.o.o. www.cbd.si
Mechanical Engineering: Linasi Peter
Electrical Engineering: Iztok Zlatar
Project area: 130 m2
Project year: 2009
Construction year: 2010
Builder: Riko Hiše d.o.o
See also:
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| Tellus Nursery School | Kindergarten Sighartstein by | Kindergarten in Granada by |
very simple and gives tremendous amount of spirit to the space.
quite safe too considering the users – children
Wouldnt mind sending my kinds over there!
Delightful and so simple! It's heartwarming to see colour used in this kindergarten to such good effect and reminds us that good design should be accessible to all. (This is my mission!!)
Yasmin Chopin Interior Design
so Q`!
very nice! congratulations! color is what we need.
playful, simple, delightful…makes me smile
Amazing colors, don't know why they would ever hide them!
waaauu
nice project. I love the colours and the possiblility to play with them.
Angela green
Colours… well OK, nice. But what can we know about the spaces, the floor plan, the concept? I think these should come first when publishing an architectural project.
Gabi, from above:
“Kindergarten Kekec is an extension of a typical Slovene prefab kindergarten from the 1980s”
It’s clearly a small building, the floor plan is predictable from the photos. What’s important here, in my opinion, is how powerful these colors are. There’s something about such an intervention that supports the development of a youngster’s creativity.