Architects: Petr Stolín Architekt
Area: 915 m²
Year: 2018
Photographs: Alexandra Timpau
Manufacturers: Rako, Wienerberger, Knauf, Sintostamp
City: Liberec
Country: Czech Republic
Kindergarten Nová Ruda in Vratislavice nad Nisou, designed by Petr Stolín Architekt, provides new educational and recreational spaces to meet the needs of the growing population. The site, chosen for its proximity to planned housing developments, presented challenges such as a north-facing slope and existing infrastructure. The design encourages exploration, with spaces connected by large windows and atriums, and activities arranged vertically, with quiet areas below and active spaces above. The building includes offices, dining, and service areas. Outdoor terraces and courtyards offer play areas, with a translucent glass-fiber facade creating a secure, sheltered inner atrium.
The new Kindergarten Nová Ruda in Vratislavice nad Nisou addresses the needs of the city district’s growing population by offering educational and recreational spaces for children.
The city owns the plot, which was selected as the most suitable location for the planned new housing development and kindergarten. In its previously underdeveloped state, much of the land is designated as public greenery. Nearby, there is a historic building, a secondary art school, and clusters of family houses, collectively creating a somewhat rural setting.
The selected plot presented challenges, as it is a north-facing slope shaded by a high school building and intersected by several infrastructure routes. Reinforced concrete pathways and the parking area further limited the space available for the kindergarten. Despite these constraints, along with Czech standards for preschool construction and emerging trends in educational environments, these factors shaped the final proposal for the new kindergarten building.
The design aims for children to learn and experience architecture through a variety of unique spatial configurations integrated throughout the building. This approach allows them to gradually explore and easily orient themselves upon entering.
Throughout the day, children can explore the building and its various pathways. Their classroom is more than a typical rectangular space; it is visually connected to the outside through large parallel windows and linked to other floors by atriums.
Children’s activities are organized by floor level: the lower part contains the bed section, the quietest area, while the floor above houses the playroom. From the playroom, children can access the terrace and side galleries extending behind the facade. These lead to the main outdoor play terrace located above the dining room. The entire building is designed to feel like one large, interconnected jungle.
The top floor, with the highest ceiling height, serves as a classroom. Skylights bring natural light into both the classroom and the dining room on the ground floor. The building is designed to accommodate two departments of 25 children each, an office for four educators, an office for the nursery manager and farmer, and a dining room for 30 children and 4 adults. The design efficiently integrates all necessary functional areas, including food preparation, staff cloakrooms, a cleaning room, technical spaces, and storage, all under one roof.
The facility’s outdoor terraces and courtyard provide sunny areas for outdoor play, complete with storage for toys and utensils. The space between the two main sections of the kindergarten functions as both a terrace and a public area. This area connects to the new parking and features exterior wooden paving aligned with the building’s axis. The remaining land will be developed into green space with various play elements as required by the program.
Materials and surfaces were selected in light tones, combined with glass and natural wood on the terraces. The kindergarten is constructed as a brick building with a glass-fiber facade on a wooden grid. The entire structure is wrapped in a steel frame, featuring two walking paths around the main sections, concealed from the street by an additional layer of trapezoidal fiberglass.
This transparent design concept enhances the building’s overall form and instills a sense of security. The outer facade acts as a soft veil, enveloping the inner spaces of the kindergarten. A fence is unnecessary, as the outer shell seamlessly unites the two slender volumes of the building, which are connected at the rear by shared functional areas. This connection transforms the inner atrium into a sheltered and inviting space.
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Project Location
Address: Donská 1835, 463 11 Liberec 30-Vratislavice nad Nisou, Czechia
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
