The four-group kindergarten is placed on the competition site as a compact, single-storey standalone building in the northeastern area of the plot and, in combination with the forecourt, establishes a pleasant point of identity and address within the heterogeneous surroundings.

Surrounded by green areas, nature is effectively drawn into the interior, creating a seamless connection between inside and outside. Future expansion has already been considered and can be realized on the first floor while operations continue.

The floor plan plays with light, space and orientation. The arrangement of the rooms allows for a continuous circulation and consistently provides a direct visual connection to the outside. Upon entering the building, the view opens into the winter/climate garden. As the heart of the building, it creates a high quality of stay and atmosphere, and through its transparency, it plays a central role in orientation and circulation within the building.

The group and quiet rooms complement each other – like yin and yang – forming an interplay between outside and inside, between activity and retreat. While the group rooms, with their large glass façades, offer transparency and visual connections to the outdoors, the quiet rooms, positioned slightly elevated by 30 cm, provide an intimate spatial enclosure that creates a sense of security.

The movement room is centrally located just a short distance from the group rooms and opens directly onto the garden to the south.

The circulation zones serve multiple functions simultaneously: they are cloakroom areas, connecting paths, and access points (dirt-lock entries) to the garden.

This solution is characterized on the one hand by a compact footprint and optimized circulation areas, and on the other hand offers children views and orientation in all cardinal directions – in accordance with the concept of “space as the third educator” (Loris Malaguzzi).

Only minimal interventions are required for the extension, allowing ongoing operations to be largely maintained during the construction phase. By adding a staircase in the previously glazed winter garden, a bright, light-filled circulation space to the upper floor is created. An additional lift in the designated technical room ensures barrier-free access to all levels. Despite the extension, the roof area on the first floor remains fully preserved as a continuous play and movement space with a surrounding loop.

Unfinished, natural surfaces shape the character of the kindergarten and allow children to engage playfully with the various materials.