Bad Marienberg, Germany

Evangelical Grammar School

Task The task comprises a two-storey grammar school with refectory and sports hall as a full-time school. The Evangelical Church would like to fulfil its assignment of educating and instructing children in the region with this new school.

Situation The site for the new Evangelical Grammar School is located in the northeast outskirts of Bad Marienberg. To the west it borders on an area with other schools such as a primary school, a secondary modern and a junior high school, to the east and north begins open land, while to the south there is a youth hostel and a special school. Topographically speaking, the site is extremely interesting as it rises to the north by slightly more than a whole storey.

Town Planning We have constructed the Evangelical Grammar School so that both sections of the building – the angled school building in the north and the second building with the arts rooms, the sports hall and the refectory in the south – circumscribe a schoolyard that is open to the west. On the one hand, the school thus has a relationship with the other schools, while on the other hand pupils are welcomed symbolically “with open arms” due to the positioning of the building.

Architecture and Function A freely designed ground plan allows the required teaching contents to evolve freely. The main entrance is located “at the heart” of the complex. Pupils enter by the Great Entrance Hall, also used as an assembly hall. A multipurpose room and the learner drivers’ room can be connected by means of movable partition walls. Free-standing stairs in the room, which is open upwards, lead to the 2nd upper storey. The assembly hall forms the centre of the school from where all other areas can be reached along short routes. The administrative department and the 5th and 6th grades are located on the ground floor. The remaining classes and the generously glazed library and “the quiet room” are located on the 1st upper storey, while specialist classes are located on the 2nd upper storey. Widening of the corridors allows for attractive smaller areas for meeting, learning, reading, playing and relaxing throughout the building. The end of each corridor is generously glazed, making them bright and enabling views across the beautiful landscape of the Westerwald forest.

The ground floor (schoolyard level) of the second building accommodates the music room, the art room and the work room, each of which has an adjoining room. A corridor, which is completely glazed on the schoolyard side enables access to these rooms. It is generously designed so that it can be used as an additional classroom for theatre, presentations, exhibitions, etc. The changing rooms for the sports hall and the refectory with kitchen are located on the -1st level below. The refectory and sports hall have a common entrance on the west side for school use, while clubs can use a separate entrance on the east side. The sports hall itself is dug one storey into the ground and is located on the -2nd level.

Access to all areas of the school is barrier-free, and each building has an elevator suitable for use by the disabled.

The external appearance of the school is given a high-quality metal façade with glass sheets, generously glazed and with enclosed, coloured opening elements. The various shades of green interlink the building with the nature surrounding it, thus integrating it into its surroundings.

In general, natural materials are used which radiate warmth, brightness and lightness while still remaining sturdy. The choice of colours and materials, openness, generosity, freshness and colourfulness form the basis of a relaxed atmosphere for learning.

Outdoor Facilities The natural graduation in height of the grounds underlines the concept, provides protection and shielding, connects and allows views inside where this is desired. The buildings are located in a natural setting which they also incorporate. Large glass surfaces on the ground floor allow nature to flow into the construction and interlink the interior and the exterior.

The entire grounds are terraced. Orthogonal landscaped strips connect the free ground plan shape of the school with the orthogonal system of the existing school centre to the west.