El Porvenir Kindergarten in Bogotá, Colombia

January 07, 2011 Category: Education, Public Buildings

Designed by Giancarlo Mazzanti, El Porvenir Kindergarten is located in Bogotá, Colombia. On the outskirts of the Colombian capital of Bogotá, where unplanned settlements are in their plenty, Giancarlo Mazzanti has designed a new kindergarten for local children.

Schools in Colombia tend to be fenced off from the public realm, but this reinterprets the conventional notion of a barrier. On its inner edge it becomes a curved colonnade, with long benches for sitting and socialising in the shade. The white-painted poles have a sculptural quality, like filaments, and the structure’s gentle but protective embrace gives the project a distinct civic presence.

The school also contains a number of public spaces, such as a multi-purpose room, a children’s club, and a kitchen and dining area. These are contained in two blocks set outside the curved enclosure to preserve the intimacy and security of the inner classrooms. In this way the school becomes a more ingrained part of the community, giving impetus to its wider mission of social renewal.

El Porvenir Kindergarten design by Giancarlo Mazzanti