high school ‘Zaunergasse’

Positioning the school building in its familiar location makes a clear urban design statement in relation to the sports building and, by setting the structure back from the intersection, creates a high-quality open space to the west. A distinctive fold in the building marks the central entrance loggia along the northern edge. A protective veranda-like band connects the schoolhouse to both the schoolyard in the east and the school garden in the south. The central axis between the atrium and cloakroom forms the organizational backbone of all functions, clearly visible from the janitor’s station.

The open ground floor, which includes the atrium, music room, library, dining hall, and group rooms, offers a wide range of uses and event formats. A generous atrium staircase connects all three upper floors. Learning zones are quietly located along the building’s edges, while administrative and special education areas are clearly arranged in the center. The light-filled atrium acts as a communicative hub, featuring galleries, a reading staircase, and seating niches. The “study halls” for upper-level students are oriented to the west to minimize noise exposure.

Constructed in solid timber, the building reveals wood on the interior and is clad on the outside with a bright, vertically profiled aluminum façade. The load-bearing structure consists of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued laminated timber (GLT) elements, with reinforced concrete cores providing structural stability. Energy is supplied via district heating, supplemented by geothermal energy, photovoltaic systems, a cascading ventilation system, and natural cooling.

Consolidated sports areas make room for a genuine school garden and a high-quality public playground. The construction process is optimized through prefabrication, with the sports building temporarily accommodating the administration and atrium functions during the building phase.