LVR Kurt-Schwitters-Schule Düsseldorf by Kastner Pichler Schorn Architekten

The extension enhances the 1960s special needs school for 220 students with a focus on speech development by adding classrooms, a single-court sports hall, and a spacious foyer serving as assembly and multifunctional space. A cohesive material palette unifies the ensemble: larch slats on upper floors tie old and new, while brick cladding at ground level offers contrast.

The junction of old and new is marked by exposed concrete and a timber-aluminium mullion-and-transom façade. The original building was refurbished to meet today’s needs. A new main entrance on Gräulinger Straße opens into a double-height, light-filled foyer – the heart of the extension – spanned by a timber roof and lit by skylights. The ground floor houses the cafeteria and all-day school areas. A glazed bridge on the upper level connects both parts of the building.