Berlin Metropolitan School
Basic information
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Full project title
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Project Description
The Berlin Metropolitan School in Berlin-Mitte is housed in a pair of existing prefabricated structures from the GDR era, which were built in 1987 in "SBR 80" construction method that was widely used at the time. The project includes roof extensions on three of the existing buildings as well as a side extension at the entrance to the schoolyard. The new additional space provide rooms for offices, access to a roof garden, and a large auditorium where the main events of the school year are held.
Project Region
EU Programme or fund
Description of the project
Summary
The project, developed in close cooperation with the user, shows how a value-conscious approach to the architectural heritage of past decades, existing buildings in an urban context and the mindset of consciously conserving resources can lead to high-quality solutions for our built environment.
The existing building is not an ordinary East German "Plattenbau" (German: Platte+Bau, "panel/slab" + "building/construction"). It was actually a special gift from the Plattenbaukombinat in Rostock for Berlin's 750th Anniversary, as the ceramic details of the facades are typical from the North. The owners of the Berlin Metropolitan School are both self-declared "children of the East". They decided that the school as an object of East German cultural heritage, was worth protecting. The materiality of the extension, a new high-quality layer on wood and copper, is also evidence of their affection towards the building. In terms of technology, shape, craftsmanship and colour, this is a respectful reflection of our times.
Key objectives for sustainability
The planning is conceptually sustainable in terms of grey energy by retaining the robust existing building, whereas many of these often-built schools have already been demolished, mainly due to a lack of willingness to renovate because of the historical distancing from the GDR.
Within the framework of a feasibility study, the existing space potential at the location and the general conditions for a gradual constructional implementation were determined. The existing building, which is functionally well usable, was recognised by the clients as having architectural and contemporary historical value and was sustainably expanded by the new intervention. The concept offers attractive new communal spaces and areas on the roof, also for the break yard and the sports field. In this way, the school could be upgraded in its quality of stay for the growing number of pupils.
Renewable raw materials and recyclable building materials were used for the new roof construction. The prefabrication of the timber components made it possible to erect the roof in sections in short construction times while the school was still in operation. The prefabricated construction of the existing building was designed for higher loads at the time - presumably in order to construct school buildings with more storeys using the same elements. The wooden roof extension with its low dead weight therefore requires no additional foundations or interventions in the supporting structure of the existing prefabricated buildings. The longitudinal outer walls made of reinforced concrete hold the existing building and the transverse walls with the same reinforcement support the new roof structure. The production of the prefabricated components took 5 months in the factory, the assembly and interior finishing about a year, taking into account the ongoing school operation.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
In addition to saving grey energy through the intensified continued use of the building, the new rooms create flexible space offers. By varying the room sizes and qualities, new spaces are created that are suitable for both community and retreat - inside and out.
The sustainable building material wood is clad in durable copper, but was left visible inside to create healthy and pleasant workplaces for students and teachers. From the outside, the copper cladding matches the warm colour of the brick slips of the existing prefabricated modules and at the same time sets the new intervention apart from the existing building. The use of semi-precious metal for the cladding is inspired by "Kintsugi", the Japanese art form in which the use of precious metals elevates the repair of a fracture to an aesthetic principle.
On the street side, the new extension takes over the roof contour of the neighbouring buildings, which is then reproduced towards the inner courtyard as a uniformly sloping overhang. In order to better enclose the schoolyard, a narrow part of the building was added on Linienstraße. On the ground floor, a public café invites people to wait and linger, thus opening up the school to its urban surroundings. The implemented project aims to have a lasting healing effect on the cityscape, both in terms of design and socially.
Key objectives for inclusion
In the course of the construction work, not only was barrier-free access to almost all floors ensured, but spaces for better social inclusion were also created. In addition, emphasis was placed on the active design of external relations in the sense of a mutual opening. This means a stronger link between school and urban life. The school thus benefits from being embedded in its urban environment and uses the city with its diverse range of opportunity spaces. Institutionalised education is more closely linked to ecological, cultural, economic and social practices on the ground.
Results in relation to category
With our work, we stand for individual and sustainable solutions in architecture. Joy in the sensual handling of space and material, curiosity about technical and spatial innovations as well as the responsible use of existing resources of all kinds are always at the centre of our architectural practice. At the Berlin Metropolitan School project, too, every opportunity was taken to improve the quality of life of future users and future generations through respectful value creation on the basis of the existing building stock, thus contributing to a high-quality educational location and to the well-being of the city in general.
The following aspects are mapped by this project:
appreciation of architectural heritage
social sustainability
durability
recyclability
energy efficiency
material efficiency
use of renewable raw materials
intensification of use
How Citizens benefit
The project, developed in close cooperation with the user, shows how a conscious approach to the architectural heritage of past decades, to existing buildings in an urban context and in the context of the conscious conservation of resources can lead to high-quality solutions for our built environment. The value of the inner-city location was increased through careful redensification, valuable space was added as a new layer, and open spaces in the courtyard could be unsealed.
Innovative character
The Berlin Metropolitan School project shows that building culture encompasses both creative and innovative skills, as well as the competence of architects to value building heritage from every era and to preserve it, not least for reasons of sustainability. Design, creative but also restorative aspects, as also represented by the protection of historical monuments and the goal of preserving our building cultural heritage as layers of time in our built environment, can symbiotically combine to create something better new. The participation of users in the planning processes through democracy and process culture can noticeably improve the planning results and at the same time strengthen their acceptance.
