A new school for the Amsterdam International Community School (AICS) will emerge on the border of the Zuidas business district in Amsterdam. Located south of the Vrije University Campus, with their distinctive high-rise buildings and the low-rise Buitenveldert residential area, AICS has a strategic place to strengthen the neighbourhood. The existing communities around the location, such as the VU Campus, the Zuidas, the Amsterdamse Bos, the Buitenveldert park and the Cannenburg neighborhood to the south offer opportunities for cooperation and cross-pollination by shared knowledge.
AICS will be linked to these communities in a programmatic, educational and social way, creating a sustainable social network. Within the school, the children from all over the world will form their own special community, a “cultural melting pot” of world citizens. Mecanoo has designed this primary and secondary school to accommodate 1400 students. The building has various shared functions including a library, auditorium, a ‘World Coffee Corner’, a lecture hall and assembly hall. These functions are located near the main entrance facing the stately Arent Janszoon Ernststraat, and are the ‘identity carriers’ of the school to the surrounding communities.
The classrooms of the primary and secondary schools are stacked and overlook the quiet Cannenburg residential area. All classrooms are grouped around a central atrium with shared study areas and have a spacious south-facing balcony. The students can use various sports facilities in and around the school, an adventure room, a dance studio and music rooms.
The building volume reflects the transition between the large-scale buildings to the north and the small-scale buildings of Buitenveldert to the south. This is further defined by the creation of both formal and informal façades. Vertical vegetation covers the southern walls reinforcing the contrast between the two sides. To the north, a sober dark brick facade overlooks the busy Arent Janszoon Ernststraat and responds to the adjacent high-rise buildings of the VU Campus and Zuidas. On the south side, the building volume drops towards the low-rise Cannenburg residential area. The stepwise design offers outdoor educational spaces on the roof terraces.
The building has a central atrium, which provides daylight, overview and sightlines into the building. By locating common teaching areas and individual study places along the atrium, the building stimulates discovery and learning. The meandering route of stairs and bridges along a wooden slatted inner façade in the atrium playfully connects the various functions. This circulation core together with the assembly area and lecture hall become the ‘beating’ heart of the building. The compact volume has PV panels and a well-insulated façade that contribute to a highly sustainable building.
Reusing the existing basement was part of the strategy to reduce costs, bypass wasteful demolition and construction, saving time, energy and materials. With partially overgrown facades and a green roof, the building wears its ‘green’ heart on its sleeve, inspiring environmental awareness among students and the community. Mature existing trees, bird nests in the façade and soft landscaping of the surroundings create an inviting learning environment that also boosts the local flora and fauna.