The location in Ellenberg, Germany, for a new daycare and community centre is characterised by the existing church with free-standing church tower, designed in 1963 by Otto Andersen. With regard to the landscape, it is characterised by a height difference of a few meters.
The new building makes optimum use of this height difference by having the roof of the building rise in the opposite direction as the location. Space is created for the new functions between the rising roof and the falling terrain. Seen from the church, the building has a modest character and presents itself as a stepped garden with two cut-outs: the main entrance and a patio. Seen from the neighborhood, the building reveals itself and fits in seamlessly with the surrounding buildings in terms of building height.
The patio forms the heart of the building around which the building’s program is grouped. The entrance, auditorium, cafeteria and all the group rooms for the children have a visual relationship with the patio, which is also the protected and controlled outdoor area for the smallest children to play.
Older children use the green, terraced roof landscape as an outdoor playground, with a vegetable garden, sandpit, pond, seating and play elements. When the building is closed, the roof remains publicly accessible, effectively doubling the size of the park of the church.
Location: Kappeln Ellenberg, Germany
Client: Ev.-Luth. Kirchengemeinde Ellenberg
Program: Kindergarten (1.985 m2) , Community center ( 500 m2)
Status: Open competition, final round
Project Team: Freyke Hartemink, Carsten Hilgendorf, Jarrik Ouburg, Mariaelena Scaglia
