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PRAKTIJKCOLLEGE HET PLEIN

Our extension to two adjoining schools was intended to be arranged around a future new open public area at the heart of an urban block in Amsterdam Nieuw West.

The public space was no longer realised after our school was completed, however our extension now partially overlooks the outside green play space of a another new school as well our schools outside recreation area.

Our design features a high level glass ‘bridge,’ between the old school and our added extension. The double height ‘bridge’ also functions as a hall for Praktijkcollege Het Plein. It also transforms when necessary into an extended restaurant for the training kitchen and also into a theatre/ film/ special effect studio for newly emerging film study subjects.

The ground floor of the extension is very transparent and incorporates a ‘shop’ and creates a shop window for the work and activities of the school.

New technical facilities for Het Plein include a refurbished training kitchen with training restaurant area, a new car maintenance training workshop, and high quality car cleaning and a generous general technical construction workshop. Facilities along with extra classrooms are redistributed around a newly enlarged special gymnasium designed for what had been the adjacent Visio School for partially sighted children. This school has now moved to new accommodation in the area and the gym is now used by the local community.

A kinetic “light” art work by artist Willem Hoebink which includes changing images and text generated by the pupils at the school is now up and running and wraps itself around the glass bridge. This was funded with a generous grant from the AFK (Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst).

Completion 2014

Location Amsterdam

Size 3500m2

Client DMO / Stichting Kolom

Photography Marcel van der Burg, Allard van der Hoek, Willem Hoebink