Design concept / functionality
The monotonous uniformity and narrowness of the existing building is met with a new generosity and lightness. The almost symmetry of the prefabricated building is excitingly broken up by a new spine, which penetrates the existing building in an L-shape from east to south and takes up the missing functions - clear barrier-free entrance, foyer and hall - and solves the spatial problems of the basement and also on the upper floors new modern specialist cabinets. The existing main access from the south will be offset by a grid and half a floor, so that a barrier-free covered access is created, which leads to the cross-floor foyer via spacious half-stairs and the new elevator.

By lowering the eastern schoolyard's half-story level, the foyer and cafeteria in the basement are at ground level, giving them a new spatial quality. By elevating the east-facing spine, a large staircase creates direct access to the foyer and a protected schoolyard area. The spatial structure of the cafeteria will be included and transformed to a surprising quality with new furniture and a generous opening to the hall and the schoolyard.

Architectural language
The idea - a new backbone for the school - is reflected in the architectural language. While the existing building has a plastered façade that is ventilated for building physics and sustainability reasons, the backbone is offset by a curtain façade made of solid-colored fiber cement panels. The tonal quality of the VHF facade can be read as a reminiscence of the local clinker brick facades and stands in contrast to the noble gray tones that surround the existing building.

The uniformity of the current strip facades will be transformed into well-proportioned perforated facades. The almost square classroom windows have wide frames made of anodized aluminum, which protrude sculpturally from the facade and also serve as sun protection with the inclusion of the external blinds.
The formerly windowless rear sides to the north, east and west receive a free play of square facade openings. This will anchor the school more firmly in the urban area as a public building, supported by main access points both to the south and to the north-east through the sunken schoolyard.
The newly built hallway on the western area of the longitudinal block will be integrated into the existing structure in terms of design.
The backbone will have a large “window on the city” in the direction of the new multi-purpose hall, which will move the school into the public space and create urban links with the hall.

Outdoor space design
Although not a direct competitive task, there is still an effort to make suggestions for a sustainable design and better usability of the open spaces.
The basic problem of the current situation is the undefined intermediate spaces, which do not offer any recreational qualities in the sense of a schoolyard or functionally link the public buildings with one another.
Eliminating these deficits is the basic aim of the interventions. Starting from the newly lowered inner courtyard, which can also be used as a green classroom with its seating steps, the area between the hall and the Uckerseehalle will be generously redesigned and intended as a public open space that can be used in a variety of ways. For this purpose, the currently triangular green strip in front of the multi-purpose hall will be delimited parallel to the hall, so that more usable space is created, which can be gradually structured with various offerings - playfully placed tree discs, a boules field, table tennis tables, possibly a streetball field.
In front of the school, the new main entrance is being worked out in terms of open space planning, but the existing structures with bicycle parking spaces should largely be left in place.

Limited competition according to VOF and RPW 2013 - renovation and expansion of the Christa-und-Peter-Scherpf-Gymnasium in Prenzlau

Category: Public, Interior, Open Space
Sponsor: City of Prenzlau

Design: Hendrik Heine | Matthias Lanzendorf | Günther Grünewald

Project partner: Lanzendorf | Landscape architecture, engineering firm HLS Günther Grünewald

Performance time: 2014

Rank: 2nd prize