![Kindergarten and Day Care Center “Kunterbunt” / Ecker Architekten - Table, Shelving, Chair, Countertop](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5411/2550/c07a/8079/7200/00d6/medium_jpg/23.jpg?1410409795)
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Architects: Ecker Architekten
- Area: 1760 m²
- Year: 2014
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Photographs:Brigida González
![Kindergarten and Day Care Center “Kunterbunt” / Ecker Architekten - Facade](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5411/23d8/c07a/80b1/d700/00cf/newsletter/00.jpg?1410409417)
Text description provided by the architects. The wall surrounding the city of Babenhausen in southern Hessen, Germany, was begun in the late 13th century. Originally fortified with seven towers and a wide clearing surrounding the village center, two towers and a large section of the wall remain. A knights’ residence, constructed in 1544 incorporates fragments of this wall adjacent to the Breschturm - or ‘Broken Tower’- which still reveals a hole made by a cannonball fired by the attacking Swedish during the Thirty Years’ War.
![Kindergarten and Day Care Center “Kunterbunt” / Ecker Architekten - Lighting](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5411/23d0/c07a/80df/ae00/00d2/medium_jpg/03.jpg?1410409395)
Against this backdrop of living history, Ecker Architekten were invited to design a kindergarten and day care center to provide social and educational opportunities for 130 children between one and seven years of age.
![Kindergarten and Day Care Center “Kunterbunt” / Ecker Architekten - Facade, Garden, Courtyard](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5411/25d1/c07a/80df/ae00/00e1/newsletter/30.jpg?1410409926)
30 ‘day care’ children, between 1 and 3 years of age, occupy the south wing of the new facility, and 100 children between 4 and 7 years old are taught and cared for in four double-height group rooms to the north of the sprawling, irregular site.
![Kindergarten and Day Care Center “Kunterbunt” / Ecker Architekten - Image 44 of 46](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5411/2453/c07a/8079/7200/00d0/newsletter/42_Schnitt_A-A.jpg?1410409530)
![Kindergarten and Day Care Center “Kunterbunt” / Ecker Architekten - Image 45 of 46](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5411/2495/c07a/8079/7200/00d2/newsletter/45_Schnitt_D-D.jpg?1410409601)
Between these two wings, one finds the heart of the project, a large multi-purpose gymnastics room and the Childrens’ Bistro, where meals are served. All of the main function rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing views of the gardens and the historic surroundings.
![Kindergarten and Day Care Center “Kunterbunt” / Ecker Architekten - Windows](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5411/2449/c07a/80b1/d700/00d3/medium_jpg/07.jpg?1410409518)
The building extends the entire length and breadth of the site, and divides the outdoor space into clearly defined areas for athletic activities, concentrated play, scientific investigation and quiet recreation.
![Kindergarten and Day Care Center “Kunterbunt” / Ecker Architekten - Facade, Garden, Courtyard](https://images.adsttc.com/media/images/5411/25a5/c07a/80df/ae00/00df/newsletter/28.jpg?1410409881)