Dezeen Magazine

Faceted concrete corridor welcomes children to Taller Básico de Arquitectura's nursery

Children attending this nursery in Spain by Pamplona studio Taller Básico de Arquitectura enter through an angular concrete corridor carved out of the building's faceted shell (+ slideshow).

Nursery School in Haro by Taller Básico de Arquitectura

The building's location on a steeply sloping site outside the town of Haro led architects Javier Pérez-Herreras and Javier Quintana de Uña of Taller Básico de Arquitectura to base their design on a geological formation, emerging from the hillside.

Nursery School in Haro by Taller Básico de Arquitectura

"We conceive an architecture dictated by crystallographic laws," said the architects, adding that the suburban milieu of roads and infrastructure influenced the monumental design.

Nursery School in Haro by Taller Básico de Arquitectura

"The daycare centre is conceived as a great rock, a visible structure for that building-less city," they said.

Nursery School in Haro by Taller Básico de Arquitectura

The building's lower level, housing maintenance and service facilities, is largely enclosed in a monolithic slab that rises from the landscape above a nearby road.

Nursery School in Haro by Taller Básico de Arquitectura

Perched on top of the hill with views towards the town, the upper storey features planar surfaces intended to resemble the sharp edges of a fragmented rock.

Nursery School in Haro by Taller Básico de Arquitectura

The angular forms create overhangs and openings that shelter windows and entrances, while a passageway with bare concrete walls and a sloping ceiling leads to the glazed main entrance.

Nursery School in Haro by Taller Básico de Arquitectura
Site plan - click for larger image

The entrance connects to large hall, around which classrooms, offices, a cafeteria and a multipurpose space are arranged.

Nursery School in Haro by Taller Básico de Arquitectura
Floor plan - click for larger image

Full-height glazing ensures these spaces are filled with natural light that is reflected by the white walls and light-coloured floors.

Nursery School in Haro by Taller Básico de Arquitectura
Cross section - click for larger image

The classrooms are positioned on either side of the central hall and feature doors integrated into the glazed walls, which open onto external terraces.

Nursery School in Haro by Taller Básico de Arquitectura
Long section - click for larger image

Photography is by Pedro Pegenaute.