kleinwalsertal school center

task definition
the task for the expansion of the kleinwalsertal school center in riezlern is shaped by the following conditions: two existing classroom wings, offset by half a story, with a solid basic structure suitable for reasonable renovation; an existing gym wing with significant deficiencies, such as non-compliant dimensions and insufficient ceiling height in the basement; the client’s desire to implement the overall concept in two or three construction phases for economic reasons, with the additional requirement that all classrooms and special education rooms must be realized in the first phase; the need to carry out construction and renovation during ongoing school operations while avoiding, if possible, the use of temporary container classrooms to save costs; and the relocation of existing corridor wardrobes into a newly designed central cloakroom. the presented concept is the result of these requirements.

school arena
the creation of a new, sloped forecourt — the arena-like schoolyard — enables two entrances at levels 0 and -1 from the same plaza. teachers, parents, and visitors enter at the familiar location, stepping into a spacious, light-filled new foyer with visual connections to the schoolyard, the lower gym, and the surrounding mountain landscape. students enter the central cloakroom directly from the school arena, with a clear separation of clean and dirty routes, and proceed quickly either to the foyer or via the main staircase to their classrooms. this direct access from outside to the cloakroom is crucial to avoid unnecessary dirt being carried into the circulation areas.
the new school arena is framed by the two-story new music and art wing, the new gym tract, and the existing three-story classroom wing with its extension. the sloped arena, with seating and lounging islands, invites gathering, play, and movement, making it an ideal place for outdoor events. a group of trees provides shade in summer. the music room can open generously toward the schoolyard and be used as a stage for performances in the arena.

entrance, gym, and music area
the central area of the new school complex consists of the entrance foyer with the enlarged atrium, the slightly sunken gym with seating steps, and the flanking multipurpose room and library. this creates a large, interconnected spatial experience with varied visual connections and clear orientation. movable partitions allow for flexible arrangements to accommodate different types of events. the volume of the gym provides additional space, allowing it to be used as an assembly hall, lecture or ballroom, and for graduation ceremonies. the library, multipurpose room, and gym all open to the south onto a large, contiguous, covered outdoor area that also provides shading against summer overheating.
the atrium also functions as a link between the classroom wing and the new music and art area, where the janitor’s apartment is situated behind an operable winter garden. the music area is placed at gym level to simplify piano transport for large music events. the student entrance to the central cloakroom also serves as an access point for external visitors to the music, traditional costume, and gym facilities.

classroom wings
the existing classroom wings are carefully renovated: facades insulated, windows replaced. the load-bearing structure remains unchanged, while some interior walls are replaced with furniture-like elements that connect classrooms and learning workshops, creating visual and spatial links. the existing pitched roofs are removed, and the top floors are rebuilt with flat roofs. this eliminates the need to refurbish or insulate the old roofs and significantly improves the overall proportions of the classroom wings. the two offset wings are clearly divided into middle school and elementary school sections.
on the ground floor, special education rooms are located, and half a level lower, the administration area. all classrooms are on the upper floors. additional required classrooms are placed in an extension on the northwest side. these rooms are slightly offset from the corridor and receive additional daylight from above through a skylight due to their northwest orientation. new external escape staircases are added at the ends of each wing to meet safety requirements. this allows the main staircase to no longer serve as an escape route, enabling a slight shortening of one flight of stairs and creating an ideal location for an elevator, ensuring accessibility to all levels.

construction phases
in the first construction phase, the new schoolyard with the central cloakroom, the music and art wing, and the classroom extension will be built. the existing structure remains largely unchanged, except for the removal of the current entrance canopy. the temporary entrance will be relocated between the newly built special education classrooms. the connection between the music and classroom wings will be via the central cloakroom.
in the second phase, the existing classroom wing will be renovated and adapted to meet the new requirements. this will be done floor by floor to allow continuous school operation, with affected classes temporarily relocated to the music wing. after this phase, all classrooms, the music area, art and textile studios, and the janitor’s apartment will be completed.
in the final phase, the old gym wing will be demolished and replaced by a new structure with the necessary ancillary rooms. this phased approach, along with the proposed arrangement of new building components, ensures uninterrupted school operation and eliminates the need for temporary container classrooms.

air distribution
in the first phase, an air collector will be installed beneath the central cloakroom to supply the music wing. after the demolition of the existing gym, it will also serve the new gym. in the existing classroom wing, a central ventilation unit will be installed, distributing air horizontally through the basement and vertically to the classrooms.

building structure
the seemingly uncompact u-shape is balanced by an intelligent building envelope and by partially embedding building sections into the terrain. glazing on the east and west sides is minimized, while the south façade features generous glazing to harness passive solar gains. to prevent overheating, roof overhangs and interior sun protection are provided. the combination of interior shading, balconies, and roof projections is highly effective, especially important for glare protection in the gym, and remains stable even under strong wind conditions. external shading would be impractical on the south side due to potential damage from sports activities on the adjacent field.

structural concept
the project comprises several construction phases with distinct characteristics: modifications within the existing structure, extensions attached to the existing buildings, and entirely new constructions that either replace or complement the ensemble.

renovation and extension of the main school wing
in the basement of the existing main school wing, the building services center will be located adjacent to the new cloakroom. to achieve this, the floor level of an area of approximately 180 m² will be lowered, and the load-bearing walls will be underpinned section by section. on the north side, a three-story reinforced concrete addition will be connected to the existing structure, founded on strip footings and independently braced. during the thermal renovation, the existing mono-pitched roof will be removed. if reinforcement of the top concrete ceiling is required, it can be economically achieved by applying high-strength lightweight concrete or bonding steel plates underneath.

new construction of the circulation and music wing
the two-story new building containing the circulation, cloakroom, and music school areas — partly on the site of the existing gym — is planned in reinforced concrete. the flat slabs, supported by columns, are designed as voided slabs in areas with larger spans. high-strength precast circular columns (spun concrete) support the structure. the two-story building is braced by reinforced concrete walls and steel frames, with a raft foundation planned.

new gymnasium
integrated within the circulation wing is the new gym, approximately 6 meters high. its roof is designed as a lightweight timber sandwich structure between glulam beams, with a north-facing clerestory for daylight. the roof is braced by the solid side walls and steel frames along the longitudinal sides.