13/ Osnovna skola Sesvetska Sela, Radman Vrbanek © MMVII

School, Sesvetska Sela

This elementary school was built in the short space of 6 months (note the dates on the celebration cakes). It was open in September 2007, shortly before the local elections.
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It is situated next to the ring road in a suburb with virtually no public space. It is for this reason that we were determined from the beginning (despite all the resistance and against all odds) to turn our attention to the outdoor space. The imperative was to articulate multiple and various access paths to the school, so that they eventually merged into a full-blown split-level square. The lower plane, holding sport fields, is connected with a higher sloping plane by a tribune of varying height.
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The height difference had a bearing on the building itself. The high-ceilinged gym rests on lower ground, thus allowing for the ‘cornice’ of the single-eaved roof to run uninterrupted. The geological fold extends into the interior in the guise of a telescopic tribune. It connects the floor of the gym with its gallery, which is coextensive with the entrance level corridor in the manner of folding back upon itself.
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The dichotomy between the classroom and the corridor is blurred thanks to the latter having been fitted with benches and a continuous blackboard.