Architecture practice h4a Gessert + Randecker Architekten was commissioned to design the new Thomas Mann Municipal Secondary School, located on a 1.4-hectare site in the Obersendling district of Munich, Germany. The building fulfils its program and provides a much broader service offering to respond to the neighbourhood's social demands.

This new secondary school (focused on music and aesthetics) aims to follow the model of typical Munich educational buildings, offering students a well-structured environment and providing the neighbourhood with new facilities to benefit from. The building features multiple classrooms that form the learning center and a large sports area, as well as multiple common spaces to foster a shared learning environment and exchange experiences.

The project designed by h4a Gessert + Randecker Architekten consists of a rectangular main building with educational functions organised on different levels around three interior courtyards, which allow for natural light. The school features specialised classrooms, a cafeteria, a library, and an auditorium, a significant space that serves as a meeting point, break room, and communication centre, and is suitable for all types of events. Surrounding this main building is a large area housing various sports facilities and some rest areas.

The building has a façade with extensive transparencies along much of its length. In some areas, various terraces extend along its entire length. The project focuses on spacious spaces in all common areas and more contained and welcoming spaces in its more specific areas and classrooms. Another aspect implemented is acoustic insulation around the entire perimeter to protect the building from the noise of outside traffic.

Municipal Thomas Mann High School by h4a Gessert + Randecker Architekten. Photograph by Zooey Braun.

Municipal Thomas Mann High School by h4a Gessert + Randecker Architekten. Photograph by Zooey Braun.

Project description by h4a Gessert + Randecker Architekten

h4a Gessert + Randecker Architekten made the best out of the dense urban space when it created an educational landscape on a 1.4-hectare plot of land in Munich’s Obersendling district. Despite its size, the school building offers students a clearly structured environment as well as a secure sense of home. The entire neighborhood also benefits from the generously sized athletic area surrounding it.

A school in an urban environment

With six classes in each year, subdivided into smaller teaching units, the school follows Munich’s concept for educational buildings. Its open, all-day learning facility with a focus on music and aesthetics can accommodate up to 1,600 children and teenagers. The challenge the architects faced was to develop the necessary space for this program within the limited boundaries of the property and its industrial surroundings. Their solution was an inward-focused site that can offer its users a wide spectrum of services. The school building and sports hall hug the line of the street, thus shielding the school grounds from traffic noise. “I really like the building in the evening or early in the morning, when it almost looks like a space shuttle,” says assistant principal Akim Akovad about the six-story new building. Bathed in the golden morning light, the gleaming building offers a new focal point for the neighborhood located only a few kilometers from the school’s former location.

A comprehensive space allocation plan was called for to deal with rising numbers of students. The architectural team designed the areas for efficiency and with a well-thought-out distribution of uses. The compact school building bundles the school areas, specialized classes, cafeteria, library, schoolyard, and auditorium into the smallest possible footprint. Two light wells and an atrium provide the compact bar-shaped building with daylight. The wraparound emergency exit balconies lend the facade an elegant sense of plasticity. The main entrance leads to the school building into the very heart of the school: the auditorium serves as meeting point, break hall, and communication center and is suitable for all types of events. It includes a stage, excellent acoustics, and a series of stairs and can accommodate an audience of up to 300. The school building is connected belowground to the opposing sports hall, and a sunken courtyard, ensures daylight makes its way into the art and creative spaces located on the underground level.

Municipal Thomas Mann High School by h4a Gessert + Randecker Architekten. Photograph by Zooey Braun.
Municipal Thomas Mann High School by h4a Gessert + Randecker Architekten. Photograph by Zooey Braun.

Rooms for an active school life

The excellently equipped classrooms in the STEM area and library are located on the second floor, while the upper four floors are arranged in accordance with Munich’s concept for educational buildings: six classrooms as well as an inclusion, team, overflow, and multifunctional room are arranged around the centrally located common areas. This creates comfortably small learning units within the large school building that can accommodate students’ needs. These diversely furnished zones offer open meeting areas facing the light wells that are perfect for alternative, self-organized learning. All of the classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards, and each floor includes two computer rooms for IT lessons. The Thomas-Mann-Gymnasium can be dubbed a “digital school.”

Outside, generous sports areas complement the school building. Here, too, the focus was on making the best possible use of the limited space. The opposing sports hall includes a foyer and kiosk where drinks are sold, three separable indoor playing fields, as well as seating for up to two hundred spectators, all of which make the hall an appropriate venue for events and ensure that it can also be used by sports clubs. One particular highlight is the all-weather sports field on the roof, which has already become a favorite spot for many students. Other outdoor areas for beach volleyball, long jump, shot put, and workout equipment encourage athletic activity. And last but not least, the Thomas-Mann-Gymnasium enjoys one other special feature: a bicycle garage with space for up to 450 bikes. The entrance in Gmunder Strasse leads to a green, downwardly curving tunnel. The area, designed in shades of blue and green by artist Georgia Creimer, intentionally references landscape and nature, thus offering an aesthetic counterpoint to the school’s urban setting.

Municipal Thomas Mann High School by h4a Gessert + Randecker Architekten. Photograph by Zooey Braun.
Municipal Thomas Mann High School by h4a Gessert + Randecker Architekten. Photograph by Zooey Braun.

More information

Label
Architects
Text

h4a Gessert + Randecker Architekten. Lead architects.- Daniel Schroeter, Robert Eberle.

+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Project team
Text

Larissa Rohr, Marcella Härle, Lisa Diliberto, Krasimir Anastasov, Ilona Marie Drescher, Arianna Venier, Johannes Krüger.

+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Collaborators
Text

Project management.- HWP Planungsgesellschaft.
Site supervision.- Köhler Architekten + beratende Ingenieure GmbH.
Structural engineers.- bwp Burggraf + Weber Beratende Ingenieure.
Fire protection.- Christian Steinlehner.
Building services.- Ingenieurbüro Konrad Huber.
Electrical.- Schuster Buchner Schmid.
Building Physics.- Ingenieurbüro Hausladen.
Kitchen design.- F&B Promotion.
Art on the building/bycicle garage.- Atelier Georgia Creimer.

+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Client
Text

City of Munich, Department of Education and Sport

+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Area
Text

26,250.00 sqm.
Volume.- 116,311.00 m³.

+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Dates
Text

Planning/construction time.- 2016-2024.
Completion.- 09/2024.

+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
Label
Location
Text

Gmunder Straße 45, 81379 Munich, Germany.

+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.
+ + copy Created with Sketch.
- + copy Created with Sketch.

h4a Gessert + Randecker Architekten is an architectural firm based in Stuttgart, Germany, founded in 1998 by Martin Gessert and Albrecht Randecker. The Munich office was established in 2008, and the Düsseldorf office in 2012.

They have developed various innovative residential building projects, including school buildings, office buildings, and nursing and senior living complexes.

Thanks to their intense commitment, the firm is continually receiving acclaim, but is also increasingly taking on construction tasks directly due to their specific expertise. Economic efficiency, functionality, and sustainability are the clear principles during the development processes of each planning process.

Martin Gessert studied architecture at RWTH Aachen and ETH Zurich. He also serves as a judge on numerous juries.

Albrecht Randecker studied architecture at the Biberach University of Applied Sciences. He has held several teaching positions and is active as a judge on juries.

The motivation for their work lies in their fascination with the challenge of developing an individual solution approach for each construction task. The most important partner is the client. Through on-site presence, close cooperation is achieved, exchanges are made, analyzed, and taken into account in the planning process.

The result is a striking and sensitive structure that focuses on the surrounding context in terms of urban planning. Their architectural language is modern, holistic, and innovative in terms of typology and construction details. The ambiance of their buildings is characterized by their design language, choice of materials, and color, making their architecture active for users and the public.

As architects, they develop all of HOAI's performance components within a transparent planning structure. An essential prerequisite for a successful planning result is integrative work with specialist engineers and specialists from other disciplines. Since 2007, they have also acted as general planners and in this context have been responsible for all architectural and engineering tasks, including jointly performing the tasks of the builder.

The studio has won several awards in recent years:

.- Areal Eichstrasse Stuttgart. Exemplary Building Award 2023 - Stuttgart.
.- Technikum of Wala Heilmittel GmbH in Bad Boll. Hugo Hering Award 2020, Hugo Hering Audience Award 2020.
.- Comprehensive School in Hurth. NRW School Construction Award 2018.
.- Kepler and Humboldt Gymnasium Sports Hall in Ulm. Showcase Building Award 2019 - Alb-Donaukreis and Ulm, Hugo Hering Award 2017 BDA - Ulm Donau Iller.
.- Hochschule Ruhr West in Bottrop. Exemplary Building Award NRW 2015, Good Buildings Award 2014 - BDA Gelsenkirchen and West Recklinghausen.
.- Helfensteinklinik Health Center in Geislingen. Exemplary Building Award 2014 - Goppingen District.
.- St. Anna Stift Center in Ulm. Exemplary Building Award 2013 - Alb-Donaukreis and Ulm.
.- MTZ Technology Center in Munich. Hasit Prize 'Indoor' and 'Outdoor' 2012.
- Special Schools in Goppingen. Exemplary Building Award 2008 - Goppingen District, Good Buildings Award 2005.
.- Rolandschule in Düsseldorf. NRW Architecture Prize 2011, Good Buildings Award 2010, NRW Building Model Award 2010, German Façade Award 2007.
.- Ruhrfestspielhaus Recklinghausen. German Architecture Prize 2001, NRW Architecture Prize 2001, Good Buildings Award 2000, BDA NRW.
(Project management by M. Estable and A. Randecker for Auer - Weber architects)

Read more
Published on: July 15, 2025
Cite:
metalocus, JOSÉ VELÁZQUEZ
"Municipal Thomas Mann High School by h4a Gessert + Randecker Architekten " METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/municipal-thomas-mann-high-school-h4a-gessert-randecker-architekten> ISSN 1139-6415
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...
Loading content ...