Located in Hamburg’s Barmbek-Süd district, Humboldtstraße Primary School was originally built in the 1960s and 70s to designs by Paul Seitz. Over time, the buildings no longer met contemporary spatial or energy standards and were partly replaced with a new structure.
The design of the new building plays with bold architectural elements and opens itself to the surrounding neighborhood. Publicly accessible spaces — also available for community use — are located on the ground floor and stand out through their distinctive colors. They orient both outward to the street and inward toward a central foyer that runs like a spine from the street to the schoolyard. This foyer functions as a multipurpose hall: a place for recess, a meeting point, a flexible learning space, and an area for after-school activities. Full-height glazing provides views into the daily life of the school while highlighting the colorful “boxes” that structure the design.
Completed in 2016, the new building replaces the obsolete portions of the original ensemble, reconnects the school to Heinrich-Hertz-Straße, and restores the block edge. At the same time, it frames and defines the generous schoolyard, giving the campus a renewed sense of identity.
Fotos: Meike Hansen, archimage
