Canteen Turmweg School, Hamburg , 2016

Nestled in a park-like setting with old trees, an ensemble of detached buildings constitutes the primary school on Turmweg. In this heterogeneous architectural environment, the new canteen is to assert itself as an independent structure and simultaneously reconfigure the schoolyard towards Hallerstrasse. We propose a clear, hall-like building that acquires its own identity through a distinctive roof landscape. The simple, elongated volume blends unobtrusively into the surrounding buildings. Only the view to the gable façades brings out the exciting, characteristic silhouette of the roof, whose dynamic movement accompanies the access route from Hallerstrasse to the schoolyard. The roof structures the building into three recognisable functional areas—the “supply area” on Hallerstrasse with kitchen, delivery and ancillary rooms, the extra high dining hall in the centre of the building, lit by a lantern-like band of skylights, and the covered entrance area in front of the building, which opens onto the schoolyard. Following the idea of a market hall, the new canteen is conceived as a meeting place for the school community, where pupils meet for a meal and exchange news and information. The canteen also serves as a meeting point during breaks, allowing activities under the large canopy even in bad weather. Here, parents pick up their children after school, and people meet for a chat.