‘t Klein Atheneum' Primary School Tienen
SSA/XX
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Status:
Realized
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Education type:
GO! Education of the Flemish Community
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Education level:
Primary Education (pre-school + primary)
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Address:
Oude Vestenstraat 12, 3300 Tienen
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Client:
IRO Education of the Flemish Community
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Contest:
Open Call 2
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Programme:
classrooms, multifunctional hall, dining area, centre for pupil support, garage, plan of outside layout
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Area:
1.142m2
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Number of classrooms:
13
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Related project:
Reorganization and overall concept result in cohesion
The primary school ‘t Klein Atheneum in Tienen is confronted with a problem common to many Flemish schools, viz. a busy building history. Hidden behind a long line of facades, the complex developed over the decades to become an incoherent entity which is difficult to comprehend. Parts have been neglected and are unsafe; others do not have access for the emergency services. The courtyards are a collection of the remains of different buildings, additions and sheds, projects which were prematurely cancelled; the underground parking is inaccessible and therefore unusable… The outside space consists mainly of the area that remains.
Five architectural offices were presented with this difficult situation through the Open Call selection procedure. The building programme that was requested had to easily fit into one building, but above all required an overall vision. The winner of the Open Call was the Ghent office SSA/XX, which reorganised the site around two large playgrounds. In this way the architects improved the internal circulation, the outside area was optimised and the school acquired an identity as a single entity.
The project respects the functional use of the site, but imposes a stricter spatial division. SSA/XX removes all the visual “rubbish” from the outdoor areas and turns these areas into clearly identifiable figures. The square becomes the playground for the nursery school children; the L-shape is for primary and secondary pupils. These courtyards are not enclosed entities, but are conceived as forecourts which are connected to the street via passages through the line of facades. This measure increases the physical and visual contact of the outside world and the school. The outside areas also determine the internal circulation of the various users. Nursery school children, pupils and staff each use their own “front door” and have their own routes. They come together at the central meeting point of the various wings. This new point of gravity in the circulation does not coincide with the existing staircase by chance. The sloping playground for the nursery school children, which may in the first instance seem a curious choice, allows for access to the underground parking.
By demolishing some of the derelict houses in the line of buildings, SSA/XX creates the possibility of giving the school a new appearance. The architecture breaks through the sequence of houses and reveals a clearly different programme. In this way the school acquires a new place in the streetscape.
With a number of ingenious measures, SSA/XX has created a clear, simple and identifiable image for the primary school. In addition, the whole project was carried out in two separate phases, so that the school was able to continue operating during the building work.