De Wereldburger
De Wereldburger gets a second life. Anyone who steps over the threshold of the central hall of primary school De Wereldburger in Amsterdam Nieuw-West in the future will enter a gigantic display case full of wood, glass, light and surprising details. The beating heart of a vibrant learning environment with room for young and old, calm and noise, innovation and reuse.
Programme
Primary school
Surface
3.000 m² GFA
Architect
Gianni Cito
Team
Patrick de Weerd, Hao Tran, Mark Spijkerman, Martina Penati
Year
2019 – 2021
Status
Completed
Location
Amsterdam
Client
RVE Education, Youth, and Care municipality Amsterdam
Construction
H. Kuipers, Pieters Bouwtechniek
Photographer
Thijs Wolzak
Landscape
LandLab
Contractor
Friso
New look
The concrete exterior façade is being replaced with steel cladding that insulates and breathes, giving the school a new look, robust yet friendly and open. Especially in combination with the large glass sections that cast a pleasant natural light into the classrooms and playrooms, the teachers’ and parents’ rooms, the corridors and the hall.
Smart reuse
The staircase-cum-tribune in this hall, winding its way to the top like a pyramid, is a real eye-catcher. The wood used for the staircase and the auditorium floor comes from a demolished gymnasium elsewhere in the city. Indestructible material scattering its colourful strips like confetti in random patterns. You can imagine children hopping, jumping from colour to colour and balancing over the lines. The entire design is full of clever features and smart reuse, from the beams in the ceiling to the door handles.
Modern requirements
The layout also builds upon what is already there, but better and different, according to today’s requirements. For example, the corridors have been broadened to enable students to work individually or in small groups. The identical classrooms can be used flexibly. And on the ground floor, the little ones can walk from their classroom straight into the fenced park to play outside.
And thus a new Wereldburger arises at the site of the outdated school. Designed with an eye for detail and attention to both exterior and interior climate, acoustics and various forms of learning. Tailored to a diverse student population and a modern educational philosophy. A safe and inspiring place for children, their parents, and teachers.
