The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects
17/09/2014.
By Potiropoulos D+L Architects [Athens] Greece
metalocus, BELEN CALLEJO
metalocus, BELEN CALLEJO
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens, is a new building that is distinguished from "neutral" proposals. It is a building that looks for "surprise" that foment child games, "hidden facts" or even situations "out of control", where children can run and play in a calm and well controlled to promote mental and emotional reflexes of the child.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Photography © Charalambos Louizidis.
Masterplan. The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects.
Ground Floor Plan. The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects.
Roof Floor Plan. The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects.
Longitudinal Section.The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects.
Transversal Section.The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects.
North and South Elevations.The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects.
East Elevation.The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects.
West Elevation. The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects.
Volumetry. The Kindergarten of the German School of Athens by Potiropoulos D+L Architects.
Description of the project by Potiropoulos D+L Architects
The Kindergarten – of the German School of Athens in this case - is the first public building a young child comes in contact with, and hence, attributes to it a dilated importance. The building was addressed during the synthetic approach not merely as function - as by convention we know - but as contributor to the actions of the small pupils, as material semiotic system involved with them through a network of interactive relationships. This is an approach which is based on the stance that architectural space is not idle, that is not sufficient to measure it geometrically in order to understand it. On the contrary, it constitutes an internal, inherent and transformable part of human daily life, closely connected with the social and personal "rituals" and activities. In this perspective, the devising of "gestures" that will give new "displacement" in the educational effort by mobilizing mental and emotional reflexes of the child, describes the conceptual axis of the "idea".
The established "neutral" proposals for preschool facilities that we know of in our country seem correct in one sense: about what they say; but what they do not say, what they omit, is the most important. They are proposals based on "logic", "order" and "safety", but they are not proposals for running, for carefree wandering, for voices, for fruitful "contrasts", for "hidden facts", for mere contemplation, for situations "out of control". Thus, a need emerges: "to think the 'unthinkable'," as E. Grosz writes, "to imagine an architecture "outside" the boundaries of until now."
CREDITS. DATA SHEET.-
Architectural study.- Potiropoulos D+L Architects, Dimitris Potiropoulos, Lianna Nella-Potiropoulou.
Project manager.- Ioannis Boubourakis, Dipl.
Constructor.- Plethron Construction.
Structural study.- Ioannis Vayas, Prof. Dr-Ing of NTUA.
Electromechanical study.- EM Engineering SA.
Landscaping design.- Eva Papadimitriou, Agriculturist - Landscape architect.
Counselor acoustic study.- Dr. G. Schubert.
Counselor of color study.- Vasso Triga, Artist/ Painter.
Topographic survey.- Ioannis Georgantelis, Topographer-Engineer.
Study year.- 2012-2013.
Construction year.- 2013-2014.
More information
Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Liana Nella
Liana Nella - Potiropoulou. Master in Architectural Design and Theory at University of Pennsylvania (1985). From 1985 to 1987 she has worked in several architectural offices in Greece and took part in architectural competitions with her personal studio. In 1989 she established her partnership with the architect Dimitris Potiropoulos “Potiropoulos D+L Architects”. Her works have been displayed in exhibitions in Greece and abroad, while she has repeatedly been awarded prizes and has received distinctions in architectural competitions. In 2000-2001 she has taught architectural design at the University of Patras Department of Architecture.
Potiropoulos D+L Architects. Dimitris Potiropoulos
Dimitris Potiropoulos. Master in Architectural Design at Technische Universität Darmstadt (1981). From 1982 to 1987 he runs his personal office while he takes part in architectural competitions. Meanwhile he works in several architectural studios in Germany and Greece. In 1989 co-founded with Liana Nella – Potiropoulou the Athens based studio “Potiropoulos D+L Architects”. He has repeatedly been awarded prizes and has received distinctions in architectural competitions, while his works have been presented in exhibitions in Greece and abroad. He is a founding member of the Hellenic Institute of Architecture.
