Colegio Reggio in Madrid
- Peter Popp
Already from afar, the six storey building of the Colegio Reggio is a true eye-catcher. The school, located in Madrid's wealthy district of Encinar de los Reyes, is based on concepts of the Reggio Emilia approach to pedagogy. This educational philosophy was developed in the 1970s and focuses on autonomous learning. An environment with an interesting design is supposed to inspire children's curiosity. The architect Andrés Jaque and his Office for Political Innovation took this requirement seriously: With its different forms, colours and textures, the building resembles a toy castle. The cork facade tinted in bright honey yellow contributes to an expressive appearance while emphasising the ecological aims of the facility. The jointless coated 14 cm thick cladding covers roughly three-fourths of the building envelope. It displays a high degree of resistance to effects of weathering. The excellent thermal characteristics reduce energy demands by 50 %. Vertically stacked functions minimise the building footprint. In the interior, wall panelling or hung ceilings were omitted. The structure and the building services remain visible.
