BBS I, Wolfsburg

Given its location as the gateway to the Handwerkerviertel, the expansion and redesign of the BBS must achieve two main objectives: First, the new building must clearly reflect the City of Wolfsburg’s commitment to sustainably revitalize the Handwerkerviertel, thereby encouraging private investors to invest here and help revitalize the neighborhood in the medium term. Second, the project should also invite both residents and visitors to embrace the schoolyard as a public space and to use the public pathways across the property as a matter of course.

We therefore propose considering the school campus as a whole and, at the very least, examining the future prospects for the facade design, since the energy-efficient renovation of all facades on this campus is scheduled to take place in the coming years anyway. This now offers the opportunity to connect buildings A and B design-wise and to merge them into a single, cohesive unit through a unified façade design. This gesture, in turn, conveys two things: By visually connecting all the buildings on the site with a unified façade, a sense of spaciousness, clarity, and beauty is created—which sends the right message at this location, at the entrance to the neighborhood. As a result, the school will be immediately and unmistakably perceived by residents and visitors as a cohesive, large complex, where they will naturally and gladly spend time thanks to the clear architectural invitation to walk through, have a cup of coffee, or linger in the courtyard.