School Extension

Located in the Seefhoek district of Antwerp, the school is part of a mixed residential/industrial neighbourhood. The narrow streets are lined with warehouses that sometimes afford a glimpse of an astonishing vista through an open gate. At these moments, the normally private inner areas bring added value to the city. We wanted to replicate such an encounter within the school grounds and translate it into a public experience. The playground offered the ideal opportunity. Our aim was to allow the spatiality of the latter to be seen and felt in the surrounding streets. A glass canopy between the high walls engenders a pleasing sense of scale. Previously a void ringed by buildings, the playground is now an independent space. The design reflects the materiality of the neighbourhood, such as the glazed brickwork in the Biekorfstraat. We adopted this tradition and created a turquoise variation.