Constructor: Casa consistorial de Albolote, E

Architects: Estudio Alejandro Muñoz Miranda, Granada, E

Location: El Chaparral/Albolote, Granada, E

Completion: 2010

Photos: Javier Callejas, Granada, E, www.cuacs.com

The nursery school in Albolote, Granada, picks up themes
from the surrounding architecture in its outer form and whitewashed
walls. But there are differences: the coloured windows
set a signal and attract the attention of passers-by.
The underlying design concept plays with the theme of open
and closed. The building is accessed from the north. The
layout is formal, with offices, canteen and a sports room for
the children located near the entrance, together with a covered
play area. To the south, a corridor spans the entire length of
the building, providing access to individual rooms for group
activities. These rooms can be combined or separated via
glass sliding doors. Each room has its own wash area. The
coloured windows turn the long corridor into a walk-through
rainbow. The other rooms, too, feature coloured windows –
for example the covered play area. Rooms for activities that
require concentration or a more restful atmosphere, such as
the rooms for group work, have plain windows. The interplay of
openness and retreat and the merging of indoor and outdoor
spaces create an interesting and stimulating environment with
plenty of scope for imaginative play and discovery.