The architectural quality of space is the central focus for the new elementary school and kindergarten by Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes in Antony, a commune that belongs to the Métropole du Grand Paris and is located 20 minutes away from the centre of Paris with the RER C train.
The school consists of four wings that surround a large, trapezoidal courtyard on the ground floor; this floor is allocated for the kindergarten while the first floor hosts the elementary school, which has its own recreational area in the form of a large terrace. The building follows the limits of the site to fit in with the urban structure, as well as to obtain as much space as possible for the terrace.
The building’s wings are staggered in height to guarantee an optimal sunlight all year round: the northeast wing has three floors; the northwest one has two and the wing that follows the winding road from southwest to southeast has one floor. As the sun shines into the kindergarten courtyard and the classrooms that surround it, energy consumption remains low.
The classrooms of children, from two and a half to six years old, are situated on the ground floor. The rooms feature floor-to-ceiling glass façades that can open largely with sliding doors and are all oriented towards the spacious playground.
Children can directly reach this area designed as a friendly art landscape with gentle hills made of sports surfaces, trees and play zones. The classrooms on the first floor follow the same principle, as they are also oriented towards spacious exterior spaces. The building’s rounded edges form the spacious terrace, partly made of wood. A sheltered space forms a framed view to the neighbourhood and allows children to play outside even in rainy weather; one can play or talk together in any weather until class begins.