What a wonderful place for a daycare center! The monastery garden of the former Franciscan monastery built in the 17th century is a green oasis in the historic town center of Miltenberg. Located just a few steps from Engelplatz square, it conveys a sense of security and history. bez+kock architekten have built a new daycare center here as a single-storey wooden pavilion between the historic monastery walls, which is protected by a mighty red sandstone wall: Its cubature divides the existing garden into the protected free play area of the daycare center and a publicly accessible open space, which - in the spirit of the former monastery garden - is available to the residents of Miltenberg.  

With its gently staggered heights, the building follows the gently sloping topography of the site and thus achieves a restrained and natural integration of the new building into its surroundings. Along the two long sides of the daycare center, a continuous pergola creates a weather-protected front zone for play and relaxation. The rooms of the adjoining family center develop around the green inner courtyard at the interface to the daycare center. The architects placed the large multi-purpose hall directly next to it, which can be used by the daycare center and family center and is oriented towards the entrance side.
On the outside, fine vertical silver fir battens clad the façades. Inside, brightly colored felt elements provide orientation for the children. The haptic and atmospheric qualities of sandstone and wood make the daycare center a house you can touch. Large skylights accentuate the access to the daycare groups and create attractive daylight for the checkrooms in the widened room niches.

The typical local red sandstone masonry of the historic monastery wall forms the characterful outer frame of the new interior. The upper lounge levels are only enclosed by a light steel mesh, thus offering maximum transparency. Each group room has an integrated climbing element that rises as a lookout above the green roof areas. Up there, retreats have been created for the children that inspire them to dream, read, observe or reflect with a view of the directly adjacent monastery.

www.bez-kock.de

Photos:

Stephan Baumann, bild_raum
www.bild-raum.com

(Published in CUBE Frankfurt 01|23)