Hermann Gmeiner Elementary School/Building A, Berlin

Thanks to the new façade, the previously anonymous-looking East Berlin “typical school” from 1972 has gained a sense of individuality. On the south side, large display windows add rhythm to the façade; their playful arrangement breaks up the monotony of the window bands. Students can display their project work in these display windows, making the individual classrooms visible from the outside. In contrast to the dynamic south facade, the north facade remains largely unadorned. Here, the colors of the interior hallway walls radiate outward. The solid wooden doors reflect this vibrancy and add rhythm to the hallways; the choice of colors and materials is warm and bright. On each floor, graphic floor elements in the stairwells help elementary school students find their way. The restrooms were also renovated and given a colorful design; mirrors and fixtures were installed at different heights to accommodate both first- and sixth-graders. The newly created niches are intended to be claimed and decorated by the students outside of class and to encourage play. The existing mosaics on the ground floor were preserved and incorporated as murals.