Description

The new Kollaskolan School buildings provide a substantial addition to an existing school, located in the new mixed-use area of Kollastaden, within the town of Kungsbacka, Sweden, about 30 km south of the city of Gothenberg. They were the result of a competition where they won first prize. The additions allow the school to cater for 75 members of staff and 360 extra children from ages 5–16. The new complex includes a school building, sports block, and additional smaller buildings. The buildings infill one of the urban blocks of the area of Kollastaden, to the south of the existing school, and new and old are connected by a communal schoolyard.

The building is designed to passive house standards, making it one of the largest such buildings in Sweden. The building’s compact shape makes it more energy efficient, and the school reuses energy, generated from people and appliances.

The building forms one of the new urban blocks in Kollastaden, with the perimeter form of the building creating two distinct conditions – that of the street and that of the schoolyard. The building addresses its functions as both an educational center and a piece of urban fabric through two distinct, but familiar architectural languages. The volumes within the schoolyard are quite informal – with a cranked angle at the corner of the largest building, and smaller bays projecting from the main building, creating informal spaces within the large schoolyard. The elevations facing the courtyard are playful, with varied window compositions, and patterns of colored panels and stucco. The school’s street elevation has a comparatively restrained and uniform presence; however, it hints to the playfulness of the schoolyard through variation in the pale brick, irregularly dressed window apertures and a colorfully highlighted entrance.

While these two distinct characters are connected by the details they have in common, they provide distinct experiences dependent on one’s position and approach. They allow students to be citizens of both the urban, public world and the internal, educational world. As students pass over the threshold from street to school, the difference in building character signals and emphasizes the transition.

The communal spaces, both internal and external, are generous and playful in their volumetric and material expression. The entrance hall features an atrium, with access and visual connection to three floors of the building. The architectural expression here is engaging, encouraging students to linger and socialize. Features include integrated furniture, colorful staircases, and playful window elevations facing the school yard. Communal areas and public function rooms are situated around the atrium, with permanent classrooms placed further away, allowing more privacy.

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Originally published in: Prue Chiles (ed.), Leo Care, Howard Evans, Anna Holder, Claire Kemp, Building Schools: Key Issues for Contemporary Design, Birkhäuser, 2015.