The daycare Loftschloss is the first Berlin daycare center to be located inside a shopping mall. The building was formerly a telephone complex from 1903, and is now protected as a heritage site. The 240 m² commercial unit had been most recently used as a beverage market. For the conversion into a children’s playground, the large area is divided into sections by implementing multi-angled structures, full of nooks and crannies. These sections are connected in an open-plan style. In order to meet the various needs of 30 children, niches and additional levels were created to naturally divide the room.
Client — Loftschloss e.V.
Size — 240 sqm for 30 children
Services — LPH 1-8, fire protection planing, funding
Completion — 08/2012
Location — Berlin
The spacious cloakroom is where the important day-to-day transitions for the children take place, not merely a place for changing clothes. For parents and educators it is a place for exchange. Thanks to its spatial qualities, the cloakroom also provides room for other activities when needed. The two group rooms are connected by a sliding panel, which can disappear into a shelving tower to open the rooms up. The opposite climbing tower may be ascended or remain hidden.
In the children´s bathroom much more is done than just washing themselves. In addition to washing their hands in the bathroom, the children can spend time exploring the element water. And more importantly, it’s used for splashing around! Through a window at mirror height, kids can see into the group room and interact with friends. The small mosaic tiles bounce playfully up and down the walls.
The former ventilation room was turned into a resting room. The carpet is a soothing green color that extends itself like a landscape. Installations like soft foam modules, shelf elements and radiator panels are playfully integrated into the overall picture. The children’s blankets are stored in the tube shelves and can be removed and tidied up by them independently.
FLOORPLAN
