Architects: 70ºN Arkitektur

Project Team: Magdalena Haggärde, Joar Lillerust, Gisle Løkken, Kjeld Nash, Anniken Romuld, Petra Schnutenhaus

Location: Tromsø, Norway

Contractor: Bjørn Bygg AS

Site Area: 622 sqm

Outdoor Area: 1,825 sqm + 1,712 sqm

Construction year: 2006

Photographs: Ivan Brodey

The kindergarten is organized in a number of longitudinal zones from the exterior playground, the roofed outdoor terraces that gives a good micro climate (very important in our rough climate), ‘the indoor street’ with water-play areas and a winter garden feel to it, the bases and to the innermost reading nooks and mezzanines. These zones contribute to make a soft transition from the exterior to the interior spaces - from the exposed wide landscape to the intimate zones.

The ‘rough’ wardrobes, the kitchen and the playing rooms are peeking out of the facade. The four bases each have an inner wardrobe which also can be used as a play area. The bases can be opened or closed off towards the indoor street and wardrobes, and each have two adjustable playing walls. The reading nooks and mezzanines are more intimate spaces for quieter activities.

The kindergartens have been built to have the possibility of variety in the use of rooms. With very simple moves one can change each room into new rooms of various sizes and functions. There are several options for combinations and joint actions of rooms and spaces. Flexibility is also guaranteed by the inner walls in every base station (fixed in one end, and wheels on the other). They can be turned like indicators round an axis and be put in different positions and make various smaller rooms in the big base room. Furniture and toys are partly integrated into the wall system so the floor area can be as free as possible: long drawing tables, climbing walls and puppet theatre are all parts of the playing walls.