Schoolyard breathes new life into run-down park
The northern village of Wagenborgen was given a boost when they received funding to make schools in earthquake-prone areas safe and sustainable. The school was relocated to a historic, but run-down park. For the new child centre De Kronkelaar, LAOS landscape urbanism designed the outside area: an inviting, green environment to play and learn.
New life for old park
At the beginning of the previous century, the area surrounding Groot Bronswijk, a care institution, was developed into a park in the English landscape style. After various alterations to the landscape and the eventual closure of the institution, the park fell into decay. Through the realisation of a child centre, as well as some other functions, the former municipality of Delfzijl started the park’s revival. LAOS was jointly commissioned by Onix to design the outside area of De Kronkelaar, connecting the new child centre with the adjacent park and the neighbourhood.
Healthy, green learning environment
The new child centre is located in the middle of a beautiful park landscape that had fallen into disrepair and was, in a way, brought back to life. The winding paths of the past have been revitalised. The swales and play hills are inspired by the ponds in the English landscaping style. Children can move and play freely; there are no fences surrounding the school. There’s a network of paths that serves both as a paved schoolyard, and as a route for park visitors. These paths subtly meander around old trees, connecting the different play areas. There’s a sports field, a play hill, and an intensively mown “green schoolyard” which, along with several other features, form a healthy learning environment. The design also makes it convenient to move the curriculum outdoors.
Connected to building and neighbourhood
Onix Architects intentionally designed the child centre as a park pavilion. Every classroom has large windows and its own terrace on the outside, creating a direct connection with the park environment. This connection is continued on the outside due to the layout of pathways around the school, which is designed in such a way that it is an essential part of an extensive network. Various routes provide a connection between the village, the school, and the park. This works. Children even play on the play equipment outside of school hours, and residents stroll along the paths. The school grounds brought new life to the park.
Location:
ICK De Kronkelaar
Tamarinde 1
9945 MA Wagenborgen
The Netherlands
Design year: 2018-2021
Year Completed: 2021
