Extension of the Felsberg School Complex
Lucerne, Switzerland | 2016
The organisational and spatial requirements of Felsberg School in Lucerne made it necessary to extend the ensemble at the same time as renovating the existing complex.
The new building, providing space for two kindergartens and additional supervision facilities, was positioned in the existing gardens, in the midst of its protected tree population, its volumetrics picking up on the playful formal language of the building. The positions of the extension’s floors, which are slightly rotated towards each other and recessed, neither affect the roots nor the crowns of the adjacent sequoia trees.
The infants, pupils and supervising staff enter the building via a large lobby in the solid natural stone base. A staircase with a skylight connects the different floors and provides light for the entrance area. Five massive cores each define the flowing floor plans on the upper levels. Sliding partition walls and mobile elements provide open or protected spatial situations, as required. Unlike the introverted ground floor, the two upper levels open out towards the surroundings and are flooded in natural light. The all-round orientation provides views of the surrounding trees, park grounds and city. Text description by the architect.
