Sandgruben school building, Basel
completed
Hochbauamt Kanton Basel - Stadt

New building
Competition / 1st prize, architecture
New school, triple gymnasium and kindergarden within an existing campus.
Planning 2012-2014 / Construction 2014-2016

Sandgruben secondary school is part of the school renovation effort launched in 2012 to implement the HarmoS agreement. The objective of the pedagogical reorganisation is to make the school as a whole the central reference point of the school day rather than the individual classes. Transitional spaces are conceived as meeting spaces and multi-purpose ‘places of possibility’ that play a central role in the concept. Together with the old building, the windmill-shaped new building forms the perimeter of a large play area for breaks. The main hall sits at the interface between the different wings. Regular classes are held in so-called learning studios, an open cluster comprised of an input room, group room and studio with individual work stations.