Behind the Veil. Kindergarten Nová Ruda in Vratislavice nad Nisou

Petr Stolín, Alena Mičeková / CUBE LOVE

An unusual kindergarten inspired by the works of Japanese architect Takaharu Tezuka’s was built on a north‑facing, gently sloping site on the outskirts of Liberec. The limits of the site and other constraints led to the proposal of a spatial experiment that teaches children to see architecture in all of its different forms. The kindergarten is composed of two narrow wings, each with a classroom for 25 children, connected by a one-story volume containing a dining-hall, offices, locker rooms, and facilities. The three volumes define the sheltered interior courtyard space, which then continues upwards to the terrace on the roof of the dining-hall and further to the outer galleries. On the inside, with rooms of different heights combining and blending together, the building becomes a big maze enabling free movement and play. All of this is enclosed in an outer semi‑translucent fiberglass shell, adding to the intriguing transparency concept as well as the feeling of security in one’s own little world.