Located at one of the entrances to the town, the school heralds the renewal of Marly. The merger of the Nelson Mandela and Louise Michel schools is a powerful political act, embodied by a unifying and emblematic school facility. The neighbouring plot, formerly wasteland, now houses a park for residents and serves as a green lung associated with the playground area. This green landscape is the foundation of the project. A school focused on nature, surrounded by trees.

The building’s layout can be interpreted in several ways. Two branches extend and come together as one towards the heart of the park. One comes from the east, the other from the west, like the pupils. This junction divides the southern part of the park into two playgrounds corresponding to the two schools, nursery and primary

They face east and west and open onto the park and its tall trees to the north of the plot, sheltered from the prevailing winds that carry noise pollution from the motorway and the dense city. Through the building’s morphology, as well as the path that crosses the park, the project creates physical links within the city, reflecting a desire for unity, togetherness and harmonious diversity. This unity also extends to the urban and natural landscapes.

The challenge for the school complex is to engage with the city outside while creating a protective interior for the children. The project develops a play of curves and counter-curves linking the various elements of the programme and the associated outdoor spaces. The project is developed on two levels, a concrete base clad in brick and a wooden attic. The first level outlines and affirms the alignment with the tree-lined mall. Its angles are softened by full curves. A curved inflection widens the entrance forecourt, protected by large planted beds. The entrances to the two schools are marked by recessed curves in the façade. From this forecourt, the low volume of the school reveals the treetops in the background of the façade.

The base wraps around the nursery school playground to the west of the plot. Directly connected to the playground are all the nursery classrooms. Above, opening onto the public space, are the other rooms necessary for the school’s operation. Its green roof is lush. It forms a second floor level on which the attic rests. This second level wraps around the primary school playground. All of the primary school classrooms are located here. The structure and facades of this attic are made of wood. It is divided into four volumes by hollow curves that bring light into the circulation areas. Mirroring the base, the cladding of this attic is composed of curved panels with hollow curves arranged in a tight grid pattern.

The primary school is located on the first floor above the base, with a slight offset creating a wide outdoor walkway planted with trees, connected to the courtyard on the ground floor. The classrooms are grouped in sets of four with adjoining storage rooms. These small units allow for the creation of functional units. The shared facilities are located in visual and physical connection with the planted terrace on the first floor. This educational terrace is dedicated to elementary school students for outdoor workshops.

NATURAL LIGHT
Natural light sets the scene in the different areas through a play of light intensities and shadows. Skylights illuminate the corridors leading to the nursery classrooms, thus defining the transition between the family sphere and the school environment, creating a generous space bathed in light and sheltered from the outside world. The curves of the attic create points of light in the primary school corridors. The playgrounds are located in the hollow of the brick base on the courtyard side. They offer framed views of the park and tree-lined courtyards and open up the central corridors serving the ground floor. The shadows of the roofs cast on the curved brick walls dance in the sunlight and punctuate the school breaks.

Large openings showcase the city and the lush wooded park. The school restaurant spans the primary and nurse - ry school courtyards where they meet the park. It opens onto the park to the east and west via large glass panels covering the entire façade of the restaurant. Lunchtime is suspended. All classrooms enjoy generous views of the outside. The window sills are low so that children can see outside even when seated at their desks.

With natural ventilation that allows for heat recovery and eco-friendly, durable materials, the building is simple and low-maintenance. Through its gentle forms, noble materials and ecofriendly approach to school facilities focused on nature, the project expresses the city’s ambition: quality education for all, attention to shared built heritage and ecology, and the dawn of a new era.