Lots of space with an exclusive view
It’s the biggest construction project realised by the Hessian city of Offenbach in recent years: the new Hafen School, located directly on the Main river, is used as an educational and sports facility not only by the children of the harbour district and the adjacent Nordend, but also by keen amateur athletes.
The modern, spacious new building with a gross surface area of approx. 11,000 m2 offers space for inclusive education and care for up to 420 primary school children and 200 children in after-school care. The building complex also houses a day-care centre for 170 boys and girls.
A special feature of the Hafen School are the two stacked sport halls with an airy, light-filled, open aspect thanks to glazed partition walls. The new building, which was designed by waechter + waechter architects of Darmstadt with an attractive brick façade, also comprises classrooms and rooms for smaller groups, a canteen, multi-purpose hall, library, rooms for specialist classes in woodworking, art, music and EDP, as well as office space for the school’s administration.
The separation between the school and day-care centre in the form of a two-storey diagonal section, which houses the common canteen, has created two greenery-filled inner courtyards for playing and learning.
The indoor walls are mostly plain grey concrete. Blue floors, white doors and bright chairs create colourful accents. In addition, white wall units with open shelves lighten up the atmosphere in the classrooms. Pupils sit at semi-circular tables in rooms that always have enough daylight thanks to the panoramic windows; during break times, the children can enjoy the view of the steps down to the harbour and the dock.
The Troldtekt acoustic ceiling panels in a light, warm shade used in the Hafen School create a relaxed, feel-good atmosphere throughout the entire building complex. Equally suitable for both indoor and covered outdoor use, the colours of the cement-bonded wood wool panels fitted under the porch roof of the pergolas perfectly complement the play areas in the inner courtyards.
Apart from their aesthetic benefits and excellent fire protection properties, the ceiling panels make an important contribution to sound absorption, which is particularly essential in sport halls, day-care centres and schools.
