Excerpt: Fulnek Kindergarten by XTOPIX Architekti and Simona Ledvinková is conceived as a sanctuary for play, quietly set into the northern part of the plot and immersed in an expansive garden. Open entirely to the south, the building follows the terrain with a low, welcoming form and frames distant views of the château. Carved courtyards let the garden enter the building, ensuring every classroom opens outdoors and blending architecture, landscape, and carefree exploration.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] The new kindergarten in Fulnek is nestled into the northern part of its plot, set within an expansive garden. It boasts both generous space and open views—its entire southern façade opens toward the landscape and frames distant vistas of the château, the town’s commanding landmark, majestically seated on the opposite hill.
The building offers a sanctuary for play in the midst of a fast-paced world—a final haven of carefree exploration before the journey into school, work, and responsibility begins. The design, selected through an architectural competition, includes not only the new building itself but also new infrastructure connections and careful integration into Fulnek’s designated heritage conservation zone.
Set gently into the slope and immersed in the existing natural scenery, the building enters the site quietly and respectfully. It follows the terrain, keeping the garden clearly in view—full of secrets and wild beauty. The façade, clad in charred pine planks, blends into its wooded surroundings, fading in and out of sight behind mature trees. Its low profile is welcoming—scaled to the world of children and harmonious with its context.
The compact volume is carved by two southern courtyards (atria), shaped by the natural slope of the land—“inlets” where the garden enters the building and the building opens into the garden. This configuration ensures that every classroom maintains direct access to the outdoors, even within the two-storey structure.
The building’s elongated form is organized into two functional zones: children’s spaces and service areas. The kindergarten is horizontally connected by a corridor and vertically by a central staircase hall. Four classrooms are located on the ground floor, paired around shared outdoor atria, which also function as semi-sheltered entrances. Through these glazed vestibules—visually connected to the classrooms—children move into their individual cloakrooms, gradually transitioning from public space into their familiar environment.
Upstairs, a large, light-filled multi-purpose room serves for physical activity and community gatherings. From here, panoramic views of Fulnek’s historic centre and château are further enhanced by an adjacent terrace with an extensive green roof, creating a spatial and visual connection to the surrounding landscape.
Inside the classrooms, space is treated like a building block—a modular system dividing the open plan into distinct activity zones. This concept is driven by a recurring square motif, expressed at multiple scales: from ceiling joists and window frames to acoustic panels, modular furniture, movable storage boxes, and even LEGO bricks. Each classroom is assigned a unique color, supporting intuitive navigation for the children. This color is reflected in cloakrooms, washrooms, and food serving areas, while the classrooms themselves remain calm and neutral, defined by white tones, birch plywood, and polished concrete.
During construction, a collaborative graphic design workshop with the children resulted in a custom “kindergarten font,” which now serves as the building’s signage and wayfinding system. The initiative aimed to actively involve the children in the creation of their future environment, deepening their sense of belonging and engagement. The workshop concluded a week-long educational project in cooperation with architects, graphic designer Jakub Wdowka (Artbureau), type designer Marian Misiak (Threedotstype), and street artist Len.
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