05.03.2025

Viktor Kaplan elementary school and middle school redesigned

Building design

The entire outdoor area of the Viktor Kaplan primary and secondary school in Graz has been redesigned. Winkler Landschaftsarchitektur was responsible for the design. Photo: Winkler Landscape Architecture

In Graz, Austria, the planners from Winkler Landschaftsarchitektur redesigned the outdoor space of the Viktor Kaplan primary and secondary school. The result is a diverse learning environment that combines exercise areas, recreational zones and sustainable greenery. In its project presentation, the firm describes how this was achieved and what exactly the planners implemented.

The Viktor Kaplan elementary school (VS) and secondary school (MS) is located in the Austrian state of Styria in the capital city of Graz. The school is located in the middle of the Graz-Andritz district between Andritzer Reichsstraße and Schöckelbachweg.

The Viktor Kaplan school complex combines two schools – an elementary school and a secondary school. Although they are structurally separate, they share the adjacent open spaces. As part of the construction of the new gym and the necessary outdoor sports facilities, the entire outdoor space of the school was rethought. The aim was to create a diverse, well-structured, green open space. All age groups should feel comfortable here and it should offer sufficient space for playing, resting, learning, communicating and romping around. It was also important to create differentiation for the various age groups outdoors. In addition to the general open spaces, the entrance was also redesigned. Both accessibility and a space with a high quality of stay were generated. The newly created open space essentially offers three areas that are filled with different uses.

The northern forecourt of the Viktor Kaplan school complex has been extensively redesigned and now serves as an inviting entrance and schoolyard. The new entrance is characterized by three planted seating islands in the middle. On the one hand, these give the trees more space and protection, and on the other hand, they create sufficient seating for the pupils. In addition to the long benches along the façades, there is still enough space for movement. By raising the entire square, it was not only possible to create accessibility, but also more space for all other uses.

A central element of the redesign is the so-called sports axis. It extends as a dynamic connection between the elementary school and the sports facilities of the secondary school. This axis provides a clear structure for the open spaces and separates active exercise areas from quiet recreation zones.

The small courtyard created between the newly built dining hall and the new gymnasium extends eastwards in the form of an active axis between the buildings. At the same time, the courtyard becomes a structuring element that separates the primary school area from the sports area. Planting beds with multi-stemmed trees structure the axis and separate the recreational areas from the more active areas.

The primary school outdoor area to the north is characterized by age-appropriate play equipment, an outdoor classroom and plenty of shade-giving trees. The latter are also intended to protect the indoor areas from overheating in the summer months. To the south of the axis are the sports fields, where outdoor PE lessons and afternoon soccer matches can take place.

In addition to the exercise zones, particular emphasis was also placed on the design of a quiet playground. In the south-western area of the Viktor Kaplan school complex, the courtyard was unsealed and redesigned in a natural way. The natural surroundings dominate here, with old trees providing a pleasant atmosphere. Only a swing under the old trees offers some variety.

This area was deliberately designed as a quiet retreat where pupils can relax and unwind. Wooden decks at the exits provide direct access to this area, even in rainy weather.

A generously planted green border to the adjacent residential area was created, particularly in the south. In addition to many native, ecologically valuable plant species, this also provides a sufficient buffer to the neighboring residents.

In addition, the eastern edge areas, which were characterized by monotonous embankments in the existing area, were modelled in order to be able to establish a better example (natural play area) in the future. The various measures have created an attractive, high-quality, diverse open space for all schoolchildren.

In addition to the design elements, numerous practical improvements were also implemented. The entrance area to the school has been equipped with new seating and areas for parents to sit and wait. In addition, the redesigned inner courtyard now offers plenty of paved areas for running, playing and riding scooters and bicycles. Benches around the trees are ideal for group work and extracurricular learning islands. Special attention was also paid to the mobility of pupils. Additional parking spaces for bicycles, scooters and mopeds provide an improved infrastructure and promote an environmentally friendly journey to school.

A forward-looking concept was implemented with the comprehensive redesign of the outdoor facilities at the Viktor Kaplan primary and secondary school. This focuses on both the natural environment and the needs of the pupils. The combination of exercise areas, recreation zones and sustainable greenery creates a diverse and inspiring learning environment.

The “Green School” is therefore a successful example of a modern and environmentally conscious school design that not only meets current requirements, but also offers a long-term perspective. The new open spaces help pupils to feel comfortable in their school and at the same time benefit from a natural and diverse environment.

Winkler Landschaftsarchitektur – Atelier für Freiraumplanung und regionale Entwicklung deals with the design of private and public open spaces. We define open spaces as landscapes, gardens and parks, courtyards, squares, promenades, streets and cemeteries. The office is a member of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce and the Austrian Society for Landscape Architecture (ÖGLA) and has been operating as an engineering office since May 2010.

The central location of the studio in Seeboden on Lake Millstättersee enables it to work on projects in Central Europe, mainly in Austria at present. The studio in the garden is located in a revitalized residential building from the 1940s, combined with the adjacent model-making workshop, a former laundry.

Landscape architecture is future architecture

We develop and realize projects for our clients in the planning phases from project planning (preliminary and design planning, approval planning) to realization (implementation planning, construction management, final documentation). In the area of regional development, overarching participatory planning processes are carried out and the resulting master plans are developed. The interdisciplinary cooperation between landscape architecture and architecture in open spaces guarantees high-quality and moderate open space design.

The March issue of G+L is dedicated to the topic of schools: Find out what a schoolyard should look like in 2025, what pupils and teachers want and how digital education is faring in Germany’s schools in the project presentations, interviews and commentaries in the March issue. The magazine is available here in the store.

In addition to the magazine, you can discover more schoolyard projects on the G+L website here.

29.12.2024

Industry news

“We never run out of work”

Building design

Now that Ulm Minster’s building lodge, together with other building lodges, has been part of Germany’s intangible cultural heritage since March 2018, an application for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List is underway. RESTAURO visited master builder Michael Hilbert and his team of stonemasons, stone technicians and carpenters. Digital tools are used as a matter of course in their work When in October 2018 in the choir of the […]

25.01.2025

Exhibitions

This Will Not End Well – Nan Goldin at the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin

Building design

With a mixture of tenderness and honesty, her series "The Other Side" documents the challenges and triumphs of an often marginalized community battling societal prejudices and personal struggles. © Nan Goldin. Courtesy the artist

The Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin is dedicating a comprehensive retrospective to US photographer Nan Goldin from November 23, 2024 to April 6, 2025. More than four decades of her artistic work will be presented under the title This Will Not End Well. The exhibition, which has now arrived in Berlin after stops in Stockholm and Amsterdam, will subsequently be shown in Milan and Paris. Goldin’s work is considered groundbreaking as it combines the most radical intimacy and societal issues with a blunt directness. Her focus on personal and intimate experiences and marginalized perspectives has made her one of the most influential artists of her generation. […]

The exhibition in Berlin was designed by architect Hala Wardé and uses the iconic architecture of the Neue Nationalgalerie in a unique way. Several pavilions erected in the upper hall are dedicated to individual groups of Goldin’s works. Together, they form an “artistic village” that invites viewers to immerse themselves in Goldin’s world. This spatial staging not only creates new contexts for the works, but also encourages a direct view of their content. A particular highlight is one of her first works, The Ballad of Sexual Dependency (1981-2022). This series of works documents life in Provincetown, Massachusetts, the Lower East Side, New York City, Berlin and London from the 1970s and 80s to the present in an iconic Goldin manner. Intimacy, partnerships, parties and the challenges of love and addiction are shown with sometimes painful honesty. The work reflects not only personal stories, but also the collective experience of a generation marked by the AIDS crisis and social stigmatization.

In addition to The Ballad of Sexual Dependency, the exhibition presents a selection of other important series of works, including The Other Side (1992-2021). This series is a loving tribute to Goldin’s transgender friends, whom she portrayed over the decades. The images not only show the strength and beauty of these people, but also shed light on the challenges they had to overcome in an often hostile society. Also on display is Memory Lost (2019-2021), a work that deals intensively with the dark reality of drug addiction. Through a combination of photographs, sound recordings and archive material, an emotionally stirring narrative is created that inevitably captivates the viewer. In contrast, Fire Leap (2010-2022) offers an insight into the carefree world of children and represents a rare, cheerful contrast in Goldin’s work. One of the most experimental works is Sirens (2019-2020), a visually and acoustically intense work that explores the seductive but dangerous world of addiction. The hypnotic images and soundtrack put the viewer in a trance-like state that vividly conveys the ambivalence of the subject. Slideshows are at the heart of Nan Goldin’s artistic practice. This medium allows the exhibition to combine photographs, music and narratives, creating an intimate, almost autobiographical narrative. Each of her slideshows is continually revised and updated, making her works living documents. After all, Goldin’s work is always a contemporary document.

Nan Goldin is not only known for her art, but also for her social commitment. In 2017, she founded the P.A.I.N. (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now) initiative, which draws attention to the Sackler family’s role in the opioid crisis. Goldin’s activism has contributed to many museums removing the Sackler name from their spaces. This fight against social injustice is also reflected in her works, which often highlight the perspectives of people who are on the margins of society.

The connection between Nan Goldin and Berlin goes back a long way. As early as 1986, her work The Ballad of Sexual Dependency was shown at the Arsenal cinema, and in 1991 she moved to the city on a DAAD scholarship. In interviews, she repeatedly emphasized how much she felt at home in Berlin: “The best years of my life were here in Berlin,” she said in 2010. This emotional connection makes the Berlin exhibition a special highlight of her retrospective. With its emotional depth, political commitment and unique aesthetic, Nan Goldin’s retrospective at the Neue Nationalgalerie impressively demonstrates why she is one of the most important artists of our time. The exhibition is not only a retrospective of an impressive body of work, but also a wake-up call about how closely art and social reality are linked.

In addition to the exhibition at the Nationalgalerie, a planned symposium is causing controversy. Since October 7, 2023, the Berlin art scene has been characterized by deep tensions, which have been intensified by many heated and emotional discussions. In this cultural climate, the exhibition threatens to trigger further conflicts after the accompanying symposium, characterized by cancellations and cancellations, is unlikely to take place. The implementation of the symposium has been debated for months. The debate shows how political conflicts are increasingly becoming part of the cultural discourse and dividing the art world.

A catalog will be published as part of the exhibition: a limited edition in nine volumes documenting all of Nan Goldin’s slide shows and multimedia projects. This collection is supplemented by texts by various authors who present their perspectives on the artist’s impressive work. Both the exhibition catalog and the book series are produced in cooperation between Moderna Museet and Steidl Verlag.