Description

In an attempt to meet the rapidly growing demand for new schools, Munich initiated a modular school building programme. The initial competition was won by Wulf Architekten and since then four schools have been built in Freiham-Nord. The first two schools were completed in less than four years from competition to handover, so quickly in fact that little of the new district for which they were planned was visible in 2018. Freiham-Nord is the largest educational campus in the city and encompasses a primary school, special needs school, a secondary school and a grammar school catering for some 3000 pupils. The primary school on Gustl-Bayrhammer-Straße and the special needs school on Aubinger Allee were completed in time for the 2017-2018 school year and the remaining two schools for 2019-2020.

The competition for the design and realisation of four all-day primary schools on a modular principle was announced in spring 2013 and won by Wulf Architekten together with the landscape architects Planstatt Senner. Based on the teaching concept of the “Munich Learning House” (Münchener Lernhaus) – a novel spatial programme designed to promote inclusive teaching – they developed a module comprising four classrooms each, two intermediate rooms for all-day care, a workroom for teachers and supervisors, a toilet block and storage areas.

The architects’ aim was to design an environment with a “distinctive and memorable character that the children can identify with”. The rooms are arranged around a communal break area, which opens on its long side onto an atrium that serves to bring light into the interior of the module. The pupils’ favourite places, however, are the square timber platforms to the left and right of the teamwork room which are furnished as “chill-out zones” with beanbags and large cushions. The learning house module developed by Wulf Architekten employs a column grid at intervals of 10.50 metres and a room depth of up to 7.50 metres. Four rows of four columns sustain the vertical load of the module, which is spanned by barrel vaulted ceiling sections. Four continuous beams link the four column rows and the barrel-vault shells, and the beams are cast in place to create a frame that stiffens the module in longitudinal and transverse directions. The entire structure rests on 16 point foundations. While the primary load-bearing structure consists entirely of reinforced concrete, all space-bounding elements of the secondary structure (facades, walls and floors) are timber-frame elements.

Depending on the respective requirements of the schedule of rooms and the specific features of the site, the learning house modules can be combined to form different configurations, either incorporating the sports hall or leaving it free-standing. Wulf Architekten have used this principle for two further schools on former barracks sites in Munich-Bogenhausen and in Schwabing-North. The longitudinal rectangular new building on Aubinger Allee houses a primary school with five parallel classes and all-day supervision. In addition, there are rooms for school admin, a dining hall, a library, a multi-purpose space, outdoor sports facilities adjoining the green playground, and a two-storey double sports hall in the basement of the building.

Originally published in Bauwelt 18.2018, pp. 24-29, abridged and edited for Building Types online, translated by Julian Reisenberger

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