Wilhelm-Raabe-Schule

The external branch of the Wilhelm Raabe School, the three-court sports hall and the daycare centre, as well as the directly associated outdoor spaces, form a band structure consisting of different and independent building sections. The linear arrangement of the entrances along Meterstraße strengthens the street space and thus the direct connection to the old building of the traditional grammar school. An outdoor space directly in front of the buildings, accompanied by an arcade, creates an appropriate arrival point. It protects the diverse, mostly very young users of the new building structure from the weather and from traffic on Meterstraße. The band structure reinforces the vertical composition of the new building. The base area and the protective enclosure of the open spaces are formed by strong vertical wooden slats. Compact 2-3-storey buildings made of yellow-grey brick protrude above the base and create inviting entrance situations.

The competition programme is spread over two buildings, the triple gym and the L-shaped building with the daycare centre and the two-storey school building above it. The buildings divide the outdoor spaces and assign them directly to their respective, very different uses. This avoids potential conflicts between user groups. At the same time, all facilities are connected to each other via protected walkways on the property.
The compact school building is designed as a resource-saving, simple and economical reinforced concrete structure with columns and bracing cross walls with a lift shaft. Infill spaces are filled with thermally insulated cavity bricks. The shape of the building provides an optimal envelope factor, which minimises the expected energy consumption. Reinforced concrete, insulating bricks and the facing shell of yellow-grey clinker ensure a resource-saving building with the requested sustainability.