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| Owner: |
SSOT Stichting Speciaal Onderwijs Tilburg (Stiftung für spezielle Schulen in Tilburg), NL |
| Architects: |
Rienks Architecten, Breda, NL, www.rienksarchitecten.nl |
| Location: |
Bladelstraat 3, Tilburg, NL |
| Product: |
DLW Linoleum, Mamorette, 125-072 golden yellow, 125-100 frog green, 125-019 sunset orange, 125-068 cloudy turquoise |
| Completion: |
2008 |
| Photos: |
Riesjard Schroop, Breda, NL |
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Architectural masterpiece:
Special School Westerwel Tilburg
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With the SBO Westerwel - SBO stands for "speciaal basisonderwijs" - in the Dutch town of Tilburg, the architectural office
of Rienks Architecten in Breda has designed and achieved a real masterpiece of successful architecture in the education sector.
The new building of the primary school for children with learning difficulties and disabilities in Tilburg, to the west of
Eindhoven, stands out thanks to its modern architecture and an intelligent spatial and colour concept. The SBO Westerwel unites
under one roof two schools that had previously cooperated with each other for many years and which have different emphases
in the special school sector.
Spaces that promote focussed work
Spaces that promote focussed work The complex consisting of four buildings houses a total of 24 classrooms. The different
parts of the buildings have been designed to be bright and airy. In addition, they have been cut longitudinally and latitudinally
and then pulled apart. This has created additional space and lots of room for the just 15 pupils per class. The floor plan
provides a double corridor structure which positions the classrooms on the outside, leaving sufficient space between the two
corridors for rooms of secondary use. This well-devised utilisation of space gives pupils the room and the peace and quiet
they need due to their learning difficulties to concentrate and develop.
Bright, sunny colours make it easier to get around
The matt, black exterior of the sports hall that houses three courts is simple and plain and thus contrasts starkly with the
three clinker-built buildings. A glass facade in front of the school building serves as soundproofing and broadly breaks up
the borders of the buildings thanks to the sky being reflected in it. The interiors are much more colourful and for a good
reason: red, blue, orange and green define the different functional areas and so support the feeling of belonging and recognition
within the building complex. The floor coverings are also bright - and not just on sunny days - with DLW Linoleum Marmorette
in yellow, orange and green tones.
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1 The school block adjoining the sports hall has a spacious gallery. The colouring in this area playfully alternates between
different shades of orange and white.
2 In front of the north façade – like a second building skin – noise-protection glazing has been installed to shield the school
from the main road.
3 + 4 Inside, various colours define different functional areas and thus make it easy to get one’s bearing and ensure recognition.
5 The matte-black outer skin of the sports hall clearly stands out from the three parts of the building with the classrooms
as regards the surface and the material as well as the architectural language.
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