dominique coulon & associés: josephine baker school in la courneuve

‘josephine baker school’ by dominique coulon & associés, la courneuve, france image © eugeni pons photography

strasbourg based-practice dominique coulon & associés has created ‘josephine baker’ a group of schools in la courneuve, france. occupying a trapezoid-shaped plot of land, the scheme looks to reorganize the site while referencing and corresponding to a pair of housing blocks that once stood in its place.

front image © eugeni pons photography

linked by a system of ramps and stairways, the interconnected volumes produce an organic and integrated organization that separates the primary and nursery classrooms. strategically deployed around the triangular site, the school features a collection of buildings that accommodate elevated sports areas, merging playgrounds and interstitial gardens.

side images © eugeni pons photography

bold and cantilevered volumes fold and slide around the site, creating an enclosed and protected form. a series of voids, indentations and changes in color break up the vertically dominant facade which reacts to the intersecting axis and historical landmarks that surround the school. inside, winding passageways and large thresholds participate in a subtle two fold movement of advance and retreat, meant to gently separate the child from both its parents and the nearby playgrounds.

side image © eugeni pons photography