This multifunctional building houses a new concept in the city centre of
Amsterdam: a part of the Montessori school, a childcare centre, the school
gym and the local neighbourhood activity centre.
All the participants have their own space but they also share communal
areas. Additionally, all the circulation double up as functional spaces, thus
making it feasible to fit the entire programme with in a limited space and
budget, while creating extra space for internal expansion and a special
greenhouse on the roof. Montessori children traditionally learn and play in
and outside of the classroom and the interaction between age groups and
different classes is strongly encouraged. This is reflected in the plans and
the section of the building which facilitates this spatially.
This public building blends into the Unesco world heritage streets of the
inner city. The whitewashed brick façade reflects light in the narrow streets.
The south façade facing the playground is in fact a vertical garden and a
seasonal sunscreen. Leaves filter the sun in the summer and disappear in
the winter letting the sun penetrate deep into the building.