The architects had a double task: to provide the educational institution with new classrooms and a sports area, as well as to delicately fit the extension into the existing look of the school complex. The latter was not at all as easy as it might seem at first glance, since the Bernadotte School is located in several villas built at the end of the 19th century. These are brutal volumes characteristic of Scandinavia at that time with large windows and red brick facades. Since the new wing should have been built close to one of them, the architects were faced with a choice: to make the extension as neutral and inconspicuous as possible, or, on the contrary, to emphasize its belonging to our time.
First of all, the authors of the project abandoned the gable roof, which is typical for all neighboring buildings. This was done for pragmatic reasons: the flat roof of the extension is actively exploited - a children's playground and a comfortable recreation area are organized on it. In addition, in the new volume, there was a place for a library, a sports hall, spacious recreation and classrooms. The attached wing is connected with the main building by means of passages, which are arranged on each floor.
The architects chose matt black painted steel sheets as a cladding material that subtly contrasts with the brick. Thin metal cables are stretched over the matte surface - according to the architects' plan, they simultaneously create an elegant modern design and give the building a "technocratic" character, making it akin to its brutal brick neighbors. The first floor of the new wing is completely glazed, and the entrance to it is raised one level higher - an open staircase leads to the "black box" of the porch.
A. M.
