Dannien Roller Architects + Partners nestled a two-storey timber hybrid structure into the gently modulated landscape, creating a naturally integrated ground-floor level that preserves the mature trees on site. The building's strategic rotation establishes an inviting forecourt that marks the threshold between public access and the nursery's secure grounds. The façade captivates with its textural interplay: jet-black flamed spruce timber ventilated behind gives way to vibrant blue-green glazed spruce—a palette that evokes the serene depths of mountain and forest lakes. The glazed main entrance, set at a dynamic angle, frames this blue-green tone with striking visual intensity.

The building's south-facing façade unfolds through floor-to-ceiling glazing and an architectural pergola system that opens the group rooms directly to the garden—a deliberate contrast to the more introverted north side. Steel support posts, arranged in delicate formations, function as a layered second skin. This transitional zone between interior and exterior balances privacy with spontaneous social connection. Descending via two hot-dip galvanised steel staircases, children access a dynamically sculpted play landscape. The east façade commands attention: its glass-enclosed slope floor creates an almost weightless illusion, with the building appearing to hover above the terrain. Glass reflections and the visible structural framework—rendered like stylised root systems—blur the boundaries between architecture and nature. Inside, the spatial logic responds directly to how children naturally orient themselves. Two generously proportioned central corridors distribute the ground and upper floors, anchored by an exposed concrete lift core and stairwell on the north side that houses all service functions. The south elevation, meanwhile, reserves all recreational spaces and direct garden access. An open foyer welcomes arrivals, flanked by the management office and kitchen. The infant nursery occupies the eastern wing, deliberately secluded. The interior narrative extends the forest theme through material and colour. The interplay of materials and tones suggests a sunlit clearing in ancient woodland. Light spruce walls seem to "emerge" from the dark brown, textured rubber flooring—earthy and grounded. Suspended wood-wool ceiling panels in soft blue draw the sky indoors. Brilliant sulphur-yellow oak doors reference sunlight and wild forest blooms. This nursery harmonises contemporary formal language with authentic materials and bold colour to craft a space where architecture tells a story.

www.dannien-roller-architekten-partner.de

Photography:

Dietmar Strauß
www.dietmar-strauss.de

(Published in CUBE Stuttgart 01|23)