Excerpt: Maple Bear Schools Czechia by SOA architekti reflects the brand’s student-centered philosophy, creating playful, stimulating environments that support lifelong learning. Open, multifunctional spaces replace traditional layouts, while original graphics and thoughtful interior design connect global identity with local context, fostering a welcoming and imaginative atmosphere for children.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] The first two forerunners of the world’s largest network of Canadian bilingual schools in the Czech Republic—Maple Bear Kindergarten Olomouc and Maple Bear Elementary School Brno.
The interior design was based on Maple Bear Schools’ unique approach to student-centered learning in a stimulating environment that instills a love of lifelong learning. Thanks to the support of the Czech representative office, we created an original design to express the spirit of these schools and, at the same time, to meet the qualitative requirements of the global brand.
Kindergarten Olomouc: The layout of the kindergarten places the classrooms to the illuminated perimeter of the multifunctional building of the Olomouc BEA Centre so that a central space—the hall—is situated in the middle. This solution virtually eliminated the institute of a single-purpose corridor in favor of a multifunctional space. The central hall provides space for children and parents.
The lobby, an indoor playground, a small amphitheater, and a relaxed seating area with a library and toys were placed in the hall. The cylindrical volume of the meeting room forms a visual landmark of the space. The different classrooms are thematically separated, which is conveyed through the design of the furniture, the color scheme, and the graphics on the walls.
Elementary School Brno: The Brno primary school is a fit-out of the ZET office building in the Nová Zbrojovka development area. A reference to the original industrial character of the building is the central entrance hall elevated over two floors with exposed steel beams. It includes a lobby, reception, and a multipurpose library. Aside from being a library, it provides space for displaying school merchandise and uniforms, and has storage areas for the reception area, or a play and reading corner for children.
Both schools feature original graphics designed for these specific spaces. This unifies the design of the schools and thematically expresses the very link between the global brand and the uniqueness of the place.
Images
