New school building / FARO Architecten

Our friends from FARO Architecten sent us their latest project, a new building school completed in Netherlands. The Koningin Beatrix- en Prinses Marijke school in The Hague was officially opened by a member of the cabinet minister Rouvoet.

In the heart of the Schilderswijk in The Hague, a new school has arisen at the site of the previous school building that had to be demolished. The new building houses two elementary schools, each with 16 classrooms, nursery schools and gymnasiums.

Architect’s description and more images after the break.

Good memories are created at school

Elementary school years are an important period in a child’s life. A school building can stimulate this by providing a positive environment: space for development, a landmark in the neighborhood, and safety. A school building must allow a child to learn, play and grow, eight years long. This building provides all that with good classrooms, wide corridors, a central hall, light spaces and a large gymnasium.

Playgrounds for the little ones

The very youngest need, especially in a neighborhood like the Schilderswijk, a space that provides peace and safety. That’s why we created separate little play grounds that are accessible by gates that the children have designed themselves. The gates are made of original rocks recycled from the old school building. A memory of what once was, in stone. Each play ground has a tree, green, recognizable, a provider of shade and ……unforgetable. What’s a school without a tree?

Two Royal Sisters

The design manifests itself as two schools that obviously are family, but each with their own characteristics. The design is partly determined by local planning controls, which result in the block being built solid, right up to the building line, completing it in accordance with the block typology in the area. Sturdy brick and a robust exterior reflects on the character of the Schilderswijk in the Hague. The building is rich in detail using three types of brick, different brick laying styles, and defining the by typical school windows and a-typical school gates.