The outdoor courtyard, which serves as a rest area for the children, also tries to emphasise the permeability found in the façade and does so through an appreciative visual connection with the exterior. The entire composition of the site is structured by means of a metal mesh structure. A series of geometric shapes, easily recognisable, are arranged orthogonally were multiple sets of circuits seem to emerge from them.
Following the metal enclosure, we enter a series of platforms. These wooden supports are intended to evoke a geometrization of nature, they represent different familiar landscapes and are adapted in scale to their use.
The cloister is intended to solve the existing unevenness and in essence, create an enclosed room that could be used all year round. An almost ethereal roof is proposed that makes it possible to take advantage of natural light thanks to its lightness and transparency.
San Antonio School playground by ELE Arkitektura. Photograph by Aitor Estévez
San Antonio School playground by ELE Arkitektura. Photograph by Aitor Estévez
Description of project by ELE Arkitektura
The commission carried out by the San Antonio school has consisted of renovating the main façade of the center, an outdoor playground and access for children between 3-6 years old and finally a cloister / interior playground for children between 0-3 years.
The three interventions are related through pure geometries, unifying the identity of the entire space through elements easily understandable by children.
Outdoor Playground
One of the main ideas of the project focuses on relating the courtyard to its surroundings while opening a window to the street that allows passers-by to observe and access the centre. On the other hand, the designed perimeter closure unifies the entire complex and opens to the surrounding nature.
This metal closure articulates each of the interventions carried out in the courtyard, adapting to the needs of each area. Starting from the street access, it works as a permeable closure to the view, then it becomes a thick wall against the existing party wall along the entire first access section. Introducing geometric volumes into the metal grid, which generate different paths between them, the transit area becomes a place for a gross motor game. These volumes create shelter, meeting, passage and play areas.
Finally, the closure leads you to the wooden platform area, which is a reflection of the geometrization of nature. The different scenarios designed to encourage children interaction are adapted to their scale, creating places such as the mountain, the cave, the beach, etc.
The Cloister
The intervention in the 18x18 meters long cloister with covered corridors on two of its façades had two clear objectives. On one side, to fill the high gap between the patio and the two corridors, to create a single diaphanous area and, on the other, to cover the patio for a more rewarding, useful and multifunctional space.
The new roof is integrated into the patio in an almost immaterial way, thanks to the transparency of the material. This cover significantly expands the useful space on rainy days while allowing natural light to enter.
Taking advantage of the existing 40 cm elevation change, a wooden platform has been built, where circular depressions are created to house different uses for the little ones.
The Façade
All non-essential elements have been removed from the façade in order to create a new profile that would unify all the different existing volumes. Special emphasis has been placed on creating a relationship between the street and the exterior playground, thanks to the visual permeability of the access.
