A rolling green roof camouflages this nursery school nestled between two towering buildings of the Japan Tobacco International headquarters in Geneva. The inconspicuous facility, designed by Swiss design studio group8, features alternating open and closed spaces and reflects the architects' intent to create an "inhabited landscape".
The building is conceived as a series of alternating arches that run in offset bands spread across the entire site. A vegetated roof generates either sheltered or open spaces, the latter of which function as interior playgrounds in places where the structure is concave. Named Origami, the nursery school capitalizes on the repetitive, folding nature of the art. The building is constructed out of a of mixture of structural materials such as metal, glass and wood.
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The main entrance is located at the point where the core layer is lowered. It leads to play areas which facilitate intersecting views between spaces. Various architectural scales create a dynamic environment that correspond to the different ages of the children.
Via Archdaily
Photos by Régis Golay
