The Kronprinzenstraße community elementary school in the Unterbilk district has not undergone any structural extensions since it was built in 1892. The free-standing, listed brick school building was to be extended to include a canteen and a sports hall. The Düsseldorf architectural firm wollenweberarchitektur was commissioned by IPM Immobilien Projekt Management Düsseldorf to plan a harmonious ensemble of buildings that seeks a dialog with the existing structure.

Above all, the cramped inner-city situation on site, but also the mighty tree population, which had to be preserved as far as possible, proved to be the major challenges of the project. The two new cubic buildings for the sports hall and canteen were arranged to the side of the existing building and behind it. They are therefore located on the edges of the site. Their cubature is determined by the heights and structures of the neighboring buildings. At the same time, the main building is surrounded on both sides by tree-lined courtyards. The sports hall, which also serves as a meeting place for the school community, receives sufficient daylight through high, floor-to-ceiling windows. The impact protection required due to the sports use could be implemented by means of barred walls in the window reveals. Thanks to the constructive cooperation between the sports office, school and school administration office, the width of the hall could be reduced so that the row of trees directly behind the school building could be preserved. However, the hall can only be used for training purposes and not for competitions. The two-storey canteen building, including a Cook&Chill kitchen, opens onto the northern schoolyard, which can also be used as an outdoor terrace in summer.

The kitchen, storage and staff rooms, an OGS staff room and the toilets for the teaching staff are located on the upper floor. In addition to the PV system, the ventilation system could also be installed on the roof to save space. It is concealed by a raised parapet on the courtyard side without being visually apparent. The façades of both buildings, which are clad in facing bricks, are based on the existing buildings in terms of both materiality and the restrained color scheme and horizontal structure. In the sports hall in particular, the trios of windows, each combined into a single unit, also interpret the rhythm of the existing façade opposite. In contrast, only a few changes were made to the existing listed building: A newly erected glass elevator tower provides barrier-free access up to the top floor. In addition, the main entrance was moved from the south to the car-free north side of the building.

www.wollenweberarchitektur.de

Photos:
Lukas Vogt

(Published in CUBE Düsseldorf 03|24)