Kindergarten in Olang by feld72

In the three-thousand-strong village of Olang in South Tyrol, a new kindergarten has been built according to the project of the Vienna studio feld72 (which also has a branch in the Italian city of Bolzano) that connects the topography with contemporary educational trends. This is already the third kindergarten that feld72 has completed in recent years. The defining element of the entire project was the correct solution to the sloping land located at a bend in the center of the village opposite the church. The authors successfully addressed all the disadvantages posed by the site through appropriate shaping of the building. They positioned a south-facing grassy outdoor play area between the building and the road. The entire school courtyard is surrounded by a white plastered wall, which corresponds to the opposite cemetery wall. The gabled roof of the kindergarten smoothly extends onto the surrounding wall, which can also be perceived as an expansion of the usable area of the building into the exterior. Inside the three-story building, light wood predominates, along with simple design and large glazed surfaces. Small details (e.g., a red-painted alcove with cushions, nooks, views, a slide from the upper floor) only prove that the architects kept the children's satisfaction in mind from the very first moment. The internal layout of the spaces allows for the division or mutual connection of child groups as needed. The resulting building perfectly meets the needs of preschool education while also dealing with the complex positioning of the lot in the center of the village in the best possible way.