Page 75 - AIT0522_E-Paper

Entwurf • Design Port Architekci, PL-Breslau
Grundriss Erdgeschoss • Ground floor plan
Grundriss Obergeschoss • Upper floor plan
Bauherr • Client Pro Liberis Silesiae, PL-Opole
Standort • Location Olimpijska 2, PL-Opole
Nutzfläche • Floor space 456,7 m 2
Fotos • Photos Stan Zajaczkowski, PL-Breslau
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More info on page 134
PLAYSCHOOL
IN OPOLE
Driven by curiosity, thirst for adventure and the spirit of
discovery, children take over their surroundings in their
very special way – no matter in which rooms they find
themselves. The playschool in Opole designed by the Port
architectural office allows plenty of (design) scope for the
personal development and frolicsome playing and yet
presents itself as a shelter for its little users.
P roducing visual and tactile stimulations and yet remaining restrai-
ned when it comes to the design of a room – in the refurbishment of
the playschool in Opole, these seemingly opposite requirements have
been combined into a successful unit. The original character of the exi-
sting building, however, has been preserved, suitably refurbished and
complemented with an annex for new functions. This cube inserted into
the entire longitudinal side of the two-storey building now has new
classrooms and, due to the floor-to-ceiling glazing of the front, opens to-
wards the sheltered inner courtyard. The latter allows the children to be
in contact with nature as Maria Montessori intended. An existing out-
building as well – formerly a workshop, now serving as a a common
room – is being supplied with ample natural light due to large, newly
added windows. Inside, the brick walls were exposed and kept in their
original condition which turns them into a visible and haptic contrast to
the complementing, smoothly plastered walls as well as to the integra-
ted constructive elements of exposed concrete. Here the history and the
structure of the building become clearly manifest: Fragments of an old
door lintel or of brickwork produce their own wall images and even the
smell of the natural materials proves its uniqueness. Different room
heights and -characteristics produce the matching atmosphere and
equipment for the equally different requirements. In the rooms, corners
for hiding are thus found just as are places for getting together. Openings
in the walls promote the exchange and the interaction between the chil-
dren; windows become seats, a passage, a portal or the entrance to hid-
den worlds and thus stimulate the imagination. The ladder or the slide
attached to a wall which runs parallel to the stairs animate to playfully
make use of the building. All the installations such as doors, windows,
shelves or benches are made of wood and in this way produce an addi-
tional level that stands out from the surfaces of the walls. The designers
from the Port studio located in Breslau have shown much sensitivity in
planning this playschool in order to create a restrainedly designed venue
which offers endless possibilities for the children all the same.
AIT 5.2022 • 075