Details

Year: Ongoing
Status: Under Construction
Client: Gemeinde Binningen
Location: Binningen, Switzerland
Gross floor area: 8.860 sqm

The new school building expands the campus with a four-story structure measuring 40 by 40 meters. Nestled within the green spaces extending from the Basel Zoo, the building is situated on the northeastern periphery. This preserves the village square, allowing it to evolve into a tree-lined gathering place. The new building marks this center as a standalone structure—equally visible from both sides of the valley. Gymnasiums, school facilities, and the kindergarten are consolidated into a compact volume. This allows for the demolition of the Margarethen Gymnasium and strengthens the visual connection to the Heilig-Kreuz Church. The historic school buildings are preserved as symbols of the community’s identity. The timber structure rests on a solid concrete base that rises from the terraces typical of the area. The retaining wall and base consist of irregularly blasted exposed aggregate concrete with the appearance of a garden wall. The superstructure is constructed using a skeleton framework with composite wood-concrete ribbed slabs. Minimal concrete cover keeps the structure lean. Wind bracing in the facade provides structural rigidity and allows for floor-to-ceiling openness inside without the need for additional cores. A wraparound pergola on the first and second floors serves as a horizontal escape route and replaces vertical stairwells inside. Constructed of steel, it is suspended from the canopy of the timber structure via tie rods anchored to the rear. On the ground floor, the kindergarten is arranged around the auditorium. The upper floors form flexible learning clusters centered around communal areas. The side-lit double gyms are located in the base. A ramp connects the kindergarten to the terraced outdoor space, which offers a variety of play scenarios through changes in surfacing and the presence of a pavilion.