Nursery: a space for children, protected, introverted but also porous - in dialogue with the outside world, the light, the plants, the earth. A space that proposes a new relationship between the children's reception areas and the surrounding urban fabric: from the city’s scale to the toddlers’ scale and vice versa, a building that transitions smoothly from one to the other is required. Taking advantage of the natural slope of the ground, this transition happens by slightly submerging the ground floor in relation to the open corner of the field, so that a large inward-facing and grounded outdoor space is created. The double-height volume, occupied by the main functions of the nursery, is situated with all of its sides open and free. The solid volume is sculpted by the movement of the sun, creating individual spaces, openings and courtyards on the first floor, while it completely opens up towards those on the ground floor. The playful volume signifies a low, receptive, public building that is warm in its materiality - a welcoming space for children embraced by greenery: The perimetrical courtyard flows into the center of the building's volume and is shaded by a single pergola which describes a solid and claims the entire field. The courtyard is protected from the city and becomes one with the interior - creating a microcosm. The porous solid as a façade, replaces the fencing. The Nursery is perceived as a one-storey structure, despite the fact that the functional requirements organically arrange the space in two levels.
Given the greenery of the field, the area where the Nursery will be situated is unambiguously defined with the general proportions of a square, while the surrounding volumes are mainly rectangular. The given field completes the corner of an elongated building block and is free on its two sides - on Efesos and Eleftherios Venizelos streets. Its third side is adjacent to Papagou Cultural Center and furthermore to the park. The centrally located, low volume of the nursary visually acts as a continuation of the Cultural center - conceivably extending the public space and its functions. Taking into account the structure and scale of the city, the basic layout of the building is created by following the square shape that defines the contour of the field - equidistant by 3.4 meters from the two lateral rear boundaries, it maintains the building line at Ephesus and El . Venizelos streets. The sculpting of the more compact level into several individual volumes softens the presence of a single mass by creating a micro-scale of spaces and functions. The public space carefully flows into the interior of the building after it is filtered by a slight submersion - but also visually, by the pergola and vegetation. The perimetrical, verdant pergola complements the free on its sides building, as a porous embrace, while in combination with the trees it complements the surrounding planting. A new green space, functionally linked to the Nursery but also visually present in its neighborhood, is created.
Project Team:
Andrianopoulos Tilemachos, Dimitra Charmatzi, Voutsas Christos, Xanthopoulos Konstantinos, Gravalos Alexandros
Structural Design:
Kontizas Athanasios
Mechanical Engineer:
Livadas Stavros_ TEAM