Nursery and Kindergarten in Heraklion Crete

Colorful shell

The key idea behind the architectural design of the two school units was the prism through which children perceive reality.

Design Philosophy

This is achieved through the creation of a colored transparent shell, which becomes the visual filter between the interior and the exterior spaces through which children experience a world of color and light. The primary role of this colorful shell is that of the “marker that colors” the -mainly white- shell of the building, which metaphorically represents a blank “canvas”.

An Interplay with Light

The innovative feature of this specific architectural design is the constant change of the form of the building through refraction, depending on the time of day and thus the position of the sun. The different designs of the two buildings are based on the children’s age and create a distinct architectural language.

Functional Design

The nursery, which accommodates particularly young ages of babies and toddlers, consists of a transparent colorful shell where the primary colors arranged in a random position, thus enhancing an interplay with the natural sunlight. The more recent structure, the kindergarten, which is intended for older children, is based on the colors of the rainbow. This has been translated into an even more complex shell, incorporating more colors to achieve a smooth transition from one to the next, imitating the rainbow phenomenon. The colored sections occupy the minimum possible surfaces, i.e. those of three points – triangles – so that the transition of the color alternations takes place at a 45-degree angle. Both structures are considered exemplary spaces for their use and have been designed and built according to the most modern and rigorous protocols.