Dolni Elementary School
An educational centre designed as the heart of a new neighbourhood
Competition Entry
Educational
12000 m2
OCA Architects
Prague, Czechia
May 2020
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The educational center is designed as an inspiring example of representative and respectable public architecture. The building creates its own urban anteroom on Kardausova Street, dominated by a tall frontal volume. The glassed ground floor engages with the daily street life through the partially public library, which opens up and activates the area. A tree-lined promenade leads visitors to the main foyer, where the school's interior qualities are on full display. This pleasant atmosphere is composed of a series of inspiring, interconnected spaces that envelop the visitor. From here, one can choose to access various school programs or head directly to the large playground ahead. Playful seating cascades down into the canteen area, mirroring the slope of the surrounding plot, while a large, sculptural staircase ascends to the classroom areas of both school stages.
At the heart of the building is the flowing foyer, which spans all six levels and serves as an inviting central space. This area connects all segments of the school, including the canteen, library, after-school club, studio, gyms, outdoor areas, assembly hall, vertical cores, and both school stages. The school's vertical organization ensures that all partially public areas are located on or below the ground floor, while both school stages remain separated on the upper levels, connected by easily monitored stairs and vertical cores with lifts and emergency staircases.
Both school stages are designed as self-contained educational units with parallel classrooms facing the courtyard. These are articulated by a generous connecting area, illuminated by the west-facing facade. Facilities, vertical cores, auxiliary spaces, and small classrooms interact to enrich the space through movable walls. At the end of each distribution area, an outdoor rooftop playground can be found.
The school is designed to facilitate and encourage alternative, flexible education. To achieve this, indoor and outdoor areas are seamlessly integrated throughout the school grounds. The building is not only fully connected to the outdoors but also built around it, taking an L-shaped form around the central large courtyard. The cascading rooftops accommodate playgrounds, relaxation spaces, and areas for learning and sports. The school is immersed in greenery, extending from the rooftops and terraces on the eastern facade into the courtyard.
