newitalianblood

The horizontal school The horizontal development of the complex serves an organizational system in which spatial distribution, access and construction merge effortlessly. The composition is characterized by a combination of larger, single volumes of public programmes that exceed in height a 'carpet' of single-storey teaching rows. Particular emphasis was given to the design of both classrooms and their intermediate zones -patios and linear courtyards- associated with them. The schoolyard is located in the centre of the scheme with an opening to the outdoor space and the sports fields, and is surrounded by the gallery and other public programmes. The gradations, from open to shaded to closed, allow for flexible spatial appropriations under different weather conditions. The school as a city. Paths and places ‘A school should be like a city,’ according to Hertzberger. The building is defined both by its main axis of circulation -the ‘highway’- the transversal corridors -the secondary ‘streets’- and by the forecourt -the square-. The existing multipurpose hall merges and becomes an integral part of the public core of the school. Openings in its new elevation enhance communication and provide additional space for more tiers.