To accommodate the upper secondary level introduced in 2018, the Bertha-von-Suttner School received a substantial new addition. The extension includes a library, additional classrooms, specialist and multi-purpose rooms, and a new administrative wing.
At the heart of the building lies the spacious, light-filled library – a central feature that opens generously toward the schoolyard through a fully glazed façade. This two-story space gives the campus a new architectural focal point: open, inviting, and clearly oriented toward the future.
Designed to support contemporary forms of learning, nearly every surface of the four-story wing has been conceived as a learning space. The library is the multifunctional centerpiece – visible from nearly every part of the building. Its three terraced levels follow the natural slope of the site, offering varied zones for different types of use. Built-in steps encourage informal gathering, while a gallery lined with low bookshelves creates continuous work surfaces for standing or seated study. Recessed niches offer quiet places for retreat. School-wide events – from concerts to assemblies and performances – make use of the tiered levels and professional-grade lighting and acoustic systems.
In the classroom areas, the same principle of spatial openness applies. Hallways are treated as extensions of the learning space – used for group work, discussions, or quiet study. This expanded use is supported by a unified design language: continuous flooring and acoustic timber ceilings run throughout both classroom and circulation areas.
The materials and colors of the building play with contrasts – between cool and warm, muted and bright. Eight-meter-high honey-toned timber acoustic walls glow from within the otherwise cool metal envelope. Colorful window insets break up the grey façade shingles, adding rhythm and brightness. Inside, those same accent colors reappear in built-in furniture elements, providing moments of warmth against the calm backdrop of white and grey tones.
Photo Credits: Meike Hansen, archimage
