The new 4-fold kindergarten Rain in Ittigen consists of two 2-storey pavilions, each with two kindergarten units on top of each other, which are grouped around a common courtyard with terraces. The pavilions, the terraces and the courtyard are combined with an enclosing shell to form a building that can be experienced as a unit. This creates outdoor areas that can be used and experienced in different ways. There are places for community, exchange or movement and those for retreat, privacy or peace. The chosen compositional principle of interior and exterior spaces, of building volumes and open spaces creates a stimulating, integrating and multi-purpose amenity, play and learning environment tailored to children.
The uniformly materialised and designed new 4-fold kindergarten, enclosed with a finely chiselled shell, has a natural, warm and inviting effect. The very memorable facades are multi-layered, vertically and horizontally finely structured, pleasant to look at and raise expectations for more. The inner courtyard, which serves as an entrance and protected, intimate outdoor space, is unique and highly identity-forming due to its free form, its views in and through and its materialization. The spatially diverse interiors are clear, restrained, warm, bright and friendly. The vertical wooden slats create spatial intimacy with optimal views and views. The child-friendly scale contributes to their well-being and identification with the building.
The sustainable building, which was built purely as a timber construction, is uniformly materialised in wood in all its parts. This contributes to the extremely characterful design appearance and creates calm and identification. The weather-exposed wooden parts of the outer skin, such as wall cladding and slats, are colourless pressure-impregnated and lightly oiled, while the horizontal outer wooden parts such as circumferential window sills and stairs are made of pre-treated and lightly oiled oak. All other wooden parts such as inner and outer ceilings, inner and outer floors, internal supports, walls and doors are treated with a pigmented oil that matches the external appearance and the windows are painted accordingly. This creates a warm, friendly and natural room atmosphere throughout.
Source: Büro B Architekten AG
Pictures: Alexander Gempeler
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