Lisbon: Kindergartens as modular concrete construction

Find the full story here: archdaily.com

In Southern Europe, public coffers are not overflowing in the same way as they are here in the north. That means money has to be used with care. For example, the Municipality of Lisbon needed more kindergartens in different areas of the city. The municipality launched a competition through a public initiative programme, in which several architectural studios participated.

The architectural studio SUMMARY has developed a standardised solution, with an economically innovative model and long-lasting materials that require little maintenance in mind. In addition, the colourful buildings are easy to recognise, like bright spots across the city now with four buildings spread around the city. The founders of the studio work with concepts focused on simplifying construction and accelerating the building process, partly through their background in science and technology. The elements for the kindergartens are therefore concrete elements, most of them assembled in a factory and erected in four days — with a total construction process of 13 months. The neighbours were probably pleased.

Wise people have said that, with new construction, we need to get used to a new aesthetic. This probably applies especially to countries that, like us, have long traditions of brickwork and care for detail.