Between the cemetery and the lake: a new school for the commune of Lügren

A hangar made of concrete and rusted metal next to a cemetery? Such a description of the new elementary school, built according to the project of the Parisian architectural studio Ateliers OS Architectes on the shore of Lake Geneva, sounds provocative. But he immediately emphasizes the main details, which, from the point of view of architects, are recognized as the merits of the new building.

The town of Lügren is located in one of the most picturesque corners of the world - at the foot of the Alps, surrounded by hills that gently descend to the waters of Lake Geneva. Once there was a Roman settlement on this place, as evidenced by archaeological findings. Now it is a quiet, provincial town, the streets of which come alive only during the winter and summer tourist seasons.

Primary school of Lugren commune, France. Project of Ateliers OS Architectes. Photo: Cyrilel Weiner

The new school building organically fits into the surrounding landscape. Photo: Cyrilel Weiner

Despite the fact that only 2,5 thousand residents live in the town, the old school, built more than a hundred years ago next to the parish church, has become cramped for students. The municipality invited architects from Paris to create a new building for the younger classes.

The elementary school is a two-story building in the form of an agricultural hangar. There are four classrooms on the first floor, and a dining room on the second floor, which can be used as a hall for festive events or lecture halls.

Between the old and new buildings, connected by a colonnade, there is a school yard. Photo: Cyrilel Weiner

The dining room space is multifunctional. Photo: Cyrilel Weiner

The extension is connected to the old building by a passage with a colonnade opening into the school yard. Due to the difference in relief, the first, concrete floor of the building is partially immersed in the hill, so there is one more entrance from the street - directly to the second floor.

Corten shell covers the wooden frame of the upper part of the school. The oxidized metal perfectly harmonizes with the tiled roofs of the town's historic buildings.

"Corten is in dialogue with the red-brown roofs of Lügren. In addition, it is a stable material that demonstrates the evolution of architecture," said Ateliers OS Architectes.

The designers provided perforations in the metal box for free air circulation between the roof and the ceiling slabs. This prevents overheating of internal spaces. At the same time, the building has a conditioning and heating system.

Corten steel is a popular, stable material in modern construction. Photo: Cyrilel Weiner

View of the church and the lake. Photo: Cyrilel Weiner

The panoramic windows offer a view of the hills and the lake. The close proximity of the school to the cemetery does not embarrass either the local residents or the designers. Moreover, it inspires architects.

"In our practice, this is not the first case when we build a new building next to a cemetery. The very arrangement between the living and the subjects who are resting in peace became an impulse for inspiration, for playing on contrasts," explains Ateliers OS Architectes.

The proximity of the school to the cemetery does not embarrass either local residents or architects. Photo: Cyrilel Weiner

Photo: Cyrilel Weiner

According to local residents, the architects managed to add a modern object to the urban development, which respects and emphasizes the dignity of the historical landscape.