Amsterdam children's playschool
1779-ALO-AMS.NL-2016
Architect: AIMA
Client: Archmedium
Status: Competition (2016)
Clasification: Honour mention
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Coordinates: 52.389560, 4.892776
Climate: Oceanic / maritime, Temperate
Material: Concrete
Environments: Seaside, Urban
Visualizer: Studio
Scale: Medium
Types: Education, Nursery

For many years, the geography of the region has been dynamic. Holland citizens were used to live in an unsteady and flood able area. In order to reclaim land to water, the Dutch have been transforming their borders since XVI century. Likewise, the effort to dominate water plays an important part in the growth of the country as a maritime and economic strength and the personality development of the inhabitants. Thanks to these process of generating common ground, the Dutch have a sense of belonging and concern for the public and collective space, with all the benefits brought to all citizens.

This wharf is a unique place with special urban wildlife. On the quay walls there is a great diversity of protected wall plants, for instance, it has the largest Schubvarens protected population of the Netherlands.

We are convinced that the main principles of the association should be applied, such as causing a minimal effect to the existing rugged soil layer and vegetation and work on programs as mainly small-scale cultural events and community-oriented activities.

Having all this into account, the main action in the project is a plane which starts in the street and slightly becomes the playschool’s roof. This way it is maintained the actual use of the “pier” in the roof, being able to embrace any kind of public activity. Furthermore, a new world not conditioned by the surrounding architecture is created under this roof, allowing the construction of a wall-system. The scheme was found among Aldo Van Eyck’s projects, used at Sonsbeek Pavilion.

The project on the ground floor is composed by long acompaning-walls opened here and there in a semicircle shape to take in the green-playground and the classrooms. At the end of the plot the old dock is recovered admitting a natural swimming pool and giving a huge space connected with the water.

Competition: Amsterdam children's playschool | Team: Antonio Lozano, Adrián Fuster, Inés Fabra, Marta Marí Burgos, Ana Plasencia | Post date: 31/01/2017 | Views: 6.161