Kindergarten / Buromoscow

Architecture studio Buromoscow, founded in 2004 by Olga Aleksakova and Julia Burdova, announced the completion of a 3,400 sqm kindergarten. Built on the outskirts of Moscow, the new structure, which with its rainbow of colors reminds us of a joyful naïf painting, is located in a newly built area of prefab housing, also designed by Buromoscow.

The new kindergarten for 220 children has been awarded the Arkhsoviet prize by the Chief architect of the Russian capital Sergey Olegovich Kuznetsov as best architectural and town-planning solution for education and medicine.

When faced with the irregular shape of the plot destined to the construction of a new kindergarten – more a result of existing spatial planning norms than a conscious planning choice – architects Olga Aleksakova and Julia Burdova of Buromoscow decided for a round shape with a rectangular interior courtyard. Located in an area of squared buildings, designed by the same studio, the kindergarten features the same bright colors emerging on a white background, while, with its circular plan, it creates a dynamic formal contrast.

The ground floor, which accommodates the youngest children, is fully glazed, whereas the colored windows of the first and second floors, shaped to different sea creatures, expressly communicate the intended use of the building. Inside, each floor is characterized by the dominance of a particular color – yellow, orange or blue – in environments designed to be simple and light-filled, taking into consideration the amount of colorful toys to color and liven up the space later.

The corridors overlook a rectangular central courtyard through partially colored windows that cast pleasant shadows inside. Being a municipal kindergarten, the design studio has succeeded in creating a building that combines aesthetic and functional requirements with a rather low budget.