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Zwei Flügel eines Schulgebäudes mit heller klinkerfassade und großen Fenstern

Learning Without Classrooms – The Römerstadtschule in Frankfurt

  • Education + Sport
  • New Construction
  • Accessibility + Inclusion
  • Participation

At Römerstadtschule, students from first to fourth grade learn together in mixed-age groups. The emphasis is on self-directed learning at an individual pace, with minimal frontal instruction and maximum independence. The school’s pioneering educational concept earned it the prestigious German School Award back in 2014.

This progressive pedagogy – age-mixed groups, individualized learning, and very few traditional “lectures” – required a new kind of school building. The architectural concept for Römerstadtschule reimagines the classroom from the ground up. With the new building, the school now has a space that fully supports and reflects its educational mission.

Project Type
New Elementary School
Location
Frankfurt am Main
Client
Stadt Frankfurt am Main
Gross Area
6.118 m²
Service Phases (HOAI)
1–9
Completion
2022
Partnership
1:1 Schließler Valentsik Architekten
Awards
2. Prize National School Design Award 2024
Kinder bewegen sich im Atrium in einer Schule mit Treppen in unterschiedlichen Richtungen, Galerien und einem Einbaumöbel.
Kinder auf einer Treppe und umlaufenden Galerien im Atrium einer Schule.
Ein Atrium in einer Schule mit großem Oberlicht, Treppen in unterschiedlichen Richtungen, Galerien und einem Einbaumöbel.

Four nearly identical house-like structures break down the overall volume into smaller, more manageable units. Each learning group has its own address within the building – creating a sense of identity and belonging. At the heart of the school lies the “Forum”: a three-story atrium that serves as a gathering space for events, informal learning, and daily school life.

The Forum’s name is no coincidence. Before construction began, archaeologists believed the site once hosted a Roman-era village square, part of the ancient settlement of Nida. This idea inspired the Forum’s role as the social and spatial center of the school – a modern-day place to arrive, meet, and exchange. Display cases throughout the space exhibit archaeological finds discovered during excavation, connecting past and present.

“The design offers students multiple ‘homes within the school,’ fostering a deep sense of belonging and pride.”

Jury Statement, SCHULBAU Award 2024
Kinder lernen auf einem mehrfach gefalteten Posest. Das Einbaumöbel aus Holz befindet sich auf der Galerie einer Schule.
Ein Erwachsener und Kinder lernen an einem Tisch.
Kinder spielen im großzügigen offen gestalteten Spiel- und Lernbereich in einem Cluster einer Grundschule. Teppiche, Matratzen und mobile Regale definieren den Raum.
Unterrichtsraum einer Schule mit locker aufgestellten Gruppentischen, Regal und Sichtbeziehung zur gemeinsamen Mitte.
Eine Küche für Schulkinder. Zweisseitig sind bodentiefe Fenster, einige mit Wetterschutzgitter.

Each learning group is housed in a 275-square-meter zone designed as a flexible educational home base. These areas include varied learning spaces, cloakrooms, restrooms, and team rooms for staff. The classic classroom layout has been replaced with open and adaptable environments. Teaching takes place across communal areas and quiet “learning rooms,” with movable furniture allowing for personalized learning setups and separable zones for concentration or activity. Surrounding galleries feature small sculptural learning platforms that provide additional space for differentiated instruction – and help connect teams across the same floor.

Schulgebäude mit heller klinkerfassade und großen Fenstern

The four house-like volumes spiral gently around the Forum in a pinwheel formation, each one hemming in and giving form to the three-story atrium at the heart of the school. This layout creates a series of distinct yet inviting entrances, allowing the Forum to be approached and entered from multiple directions – reinforcing its role as the vibrant social core. By bringing the learning clusters into dialogue with the central space in this way, the architecture mirrors the school’s pedagogical values: openness, connection, and fluid movement between levels and learning groups.

Photo Credits: Meike Hansen, archimage

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