Primary school Nonnewisen, Esch-sur-Alzette (LUX)

project construction of a primary school with a 2-field-gym, a swimming-pool and a kindergarden ( low energy building) awarding authority Ville d´Esch-sur-Alzette planning WW+ architektur + management (LUX), Schaller Theodor (GER), Weisgerber architecte (LUX), GK-Engineering (LUX) gross floor area 7350 m² gross cubic space 36.750 m³ building costs (excl. VAT) 14.000.000 €

Architectural concept

Protecting shell and new address of the new “city garden quarters”. As designed in the master plan, the school and the hotel are a kind of shell for the new “city garden quarters” Nonnewisen. The linear and dialogical placement of the complex of buildings in a constant alignment along the whole length of the estate and alongside the Penetrante is dramatising a place at the junction between school and hotel, as a gate and transition into a new protected urban space. The complexes of buildings react to the favourable position of the estate by defining a clear urban edge to the Penetrante de Lankelz on the one hand and on the other hand by turning and opening themselves towards the light and the green space in the Southwest.

Three learning cycles – three houses

The arrangement of the school with its three houses is supposed to support the concept of the three learning cycles in a constructural way. By looking at the arrangement of the façade, this structure – being spacious and functional at the same time – can be read. The exposed facades accentuate the turning towards the city and offer views and insights. The enlargement of the corridors linked to this enables a floor-spanning opening of the exploitation areas and by this makes it possible for the children to experience the basic pedagogic idea of the learning cycles in the form of house units