Honorable mention at an architectural challenge

The proposal transforms a 20th century trivial building into a contemporary landmark, which stands out of the typical context of an ordinary housing area of Piraeus. Free gestures and colours shape a new world for the infants. It’s not only the colours though, which provide a connection with them, but it is the space itself, its scale, its limits which frames everyday socialising of infants. All the curved surfaces proposed, shape the infants’ area —court, classrooms, special spaces, terrace— “hug” and offer an intimate environment for the infants. 

The curve, always obeying the orthogonal grid system which shapes the the area, is capable to give a more vivid expansion of the current building due to several different gestures: some of them shape certain spaces- volumes (the staircase, the curved corner on the ground floor, the wavy envelope on the first floor and on the rooftop) and some of them, form a continuity through pergolas, that are an integral element of the entire building and all its floors (court, first floor, rooftop). Secondary zones underline the undulation of the facades. The entire building pulsates in its vibrant translucent skin, taking additional vibrance due to those sun protection turning blinds, as they «wrap» each floor with the colours of the rainbow.

The context lets the building to be observed. Around it, unbuilt lots: to the south a small scale public park and to the north the court of the Nursery School, to the west a bit further away it is located an army factory, an introvert public building, which hopefully in the future will get rid of its xenophobic fence and establish an immediate relation with the neighbourhood.

The abundance of colours will be found also around the interior spaces, organised through wooden frames: wood, a friendly and warm natural material, is combined with shelves and cupboards of many different colours, with slightly transparent and coloured dividing elements, vibrant reddish ceilings and floors.