Children's Center O3
Children's Center O3
Children's Center O3
Community school as a living room for the Rivierenbuurt
The Haagse Rivierenbuurt: an island in the city
The Rivierenbuurt, a working-class neighborhood from the first half of the twentieth century, is located in the middle of The Hague. A neighborhood with characteristic architecture and a convenient location, next to Central Station, the shopping and exit area around the Spui and the City Hall. But also surrounded by arteries and tracks, like an isolated island in the city. A neighborhood that was designated a Vogelaarwijk in 2007 due to the unilateral housing supply and social problems; this marked the start of a large-scale transformation, with the construction and renovation of homes, reuse of existing buildings and more space for greenery.
Transformation of the neighborhood and school
It is in this context that Child Center O3 was set up. The initiator was an enthusiastic, ambitious director who wanted to transform a low-ranked primary school into a qualitative and challenging learning environment: a socially mixed community school where children can learn, play, exercise and develop, where their parents can go for support, and where all generations feel at home. This coincided with the ambitions of the municipality and housing corporation Haag Wonen, driving forces behind the transformation of the Rivierenbuurt. This is how a school was created that is more than just a school, but a living room for the neighborhood.
The child center in the Rivierenbuurt
Child Center O3 is centrally located in the Rivierenbuurt, on the new Delta Plantsoen; the park also serves as a playground, creating connections between school, square and neighborhood. In addition, atelier PRO's design matches the atmosphere and scale of the neighborhood. The school building fits elegantly into the context and completes the square wall around the park, mainly due to its stepped building mass, robust appearance and recessed entrance; the articulated structure of the façade, the window rhythms, warm materials and accurate detailing refer to pre-war architecture. Coloured shutters have been installed next to the windows, a subtle festive accent that makes it clear that this is a building for children. The playground also has a 'Haags Hopje' designed by atelier PRO, a pavilion where toys are lent to children in the neighborhood.
A truly comprehensive school
Various facilities are concentrated in Child Center O3: in addition to a primary school, a KDV, preschool, BSO, welfare organizations, GP care, sports clubs and community organizations. The facilities are diverse and focused on the environment, with a lot of attention to movement and social contact. Everyone can exercise here and make use of the school's library, studio and music room; elderly people come here to cook and eat, parents can take courses there, local residents walk in with questions or just for a chat. The building and its spaces are multifunctional, and are both literally and figuratively transparent to the neighborhood. Child Center O3 is therefore a truly comprehensive school.
Space for children, parents and neighbours
Programmatically, Child Center O3 is clearly organized. When you walk into the building, you immediately enter the neighborhood's living room: a large central room with a conference table, seats, the library and an info point from the welfare organization Wijkz. There is also a grandstand staircase with a high void, so that this space can also be used as a theater or auditorium. The central space can be connected to a playroom, as well as the restaurant room and kitchen.
The school has an entrance on the ground floor and a cluster of classrooms with learning plazas for the youngest students; this is also where pre-school care is located next to the garden. On the first floor, there are classrooms with apprenticeships for the middle classes, as well as the BSO and sports hall. The second floor is for the upper level with classrooms, learning plazas, media library, music room and studio. Finally, on the third floor, there is space for offices and for the community center with the GP office. All organizations use the same staff room, and can relax on the adjacent roof terrace with a view of the skyline.
The void above the grandstand stairs leads to the roof and literally divides the building in two. On one side are the communal facilities, which are publicly accessible, and on the other side are the school, which requires more privacy and can be closed off in a zoned manner outside school hours.
The collaboration makes the project
Child Center O3 was about more than just designing a community school, it was about creating a “living environment” in the broadest sense of the word; about improving the quality of the square, the neighborhood, and the quality of life in the Rivierenbuurt. For the project, atelier PRO worked with school management, district organizations, the municipality and Haag Wonen. The project has proven to be so successful that, with a view to the future, the school is currently about to expand - again in collaboration with atelier PRO.
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