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Local Company wins Design Competition for New Lower School Building
ISL has selected the design submitted by ARCO Architecture Company of Luxembourg for its new Lower School building, a 15,000m2 complex that it foresees constructing adjacent to the Hillside Building on the southwest corner of the Geesseknaeppchen Campus.
With the aid of Paul Wurth S.A. acting as Project Manager, an international architectural competition was launched in 2009, and 12 international architecture firms were invited to compete. Of the 11 submissions received, two laureates were named and the competition jury subsequently selected ARCO’s project.
An important criterion for the design was that it reflect the educational mission of the school, to provide an outstanding education in a caring environment, inspiring all students to reach their true potential and to act as responsible participants in a global society. ISL’s design requirements, therefore, called for a building that is open, bright and visually appealing, employing natural products as much as possible creating a structure that is inviting and friendly with a warm and welcoming feel for students. With an educational philosophy that focuses on inquiry, integration, and collaboration, the layout of the building should stimulate interaction between teams of faculty and students within and across grade levels through the use of grade level clusters and flexible instructional spaces. A low-carbon-energy, eco-efficient, sustainable construction, which will reduce running costs and environmental impact, was a further requirement of the design brief.
The new Lower School building, known as ISL2 and catering to children ages 3-11, comprises the third and most ambitious phase of ISL’s facility expansion which began in 2007 with the construction of the Hillside Building, adjacent to the main school (ISL1). Construction continued this school year with the addition of a five-storey, 15-room extension to the east wing of ISL1, which should be completed for the start of school in August 2010. The expansion of ISL1 and construction of ISL2 will allow ISL to grow from its current capacity of about 950 to a total of about 1500 students when ISL2 opens in 2013.
Ever-increasing enrolment and demand for an ISL education since the school’s move from Limpertsberg to the Geesseknaeppchen Campus in 2000 have been the driving forces behind ISL’s expansion projects. The school is particularly aware that businesses, which relocate employees with school-age children to Luxembourg from abroad, require specific educational options for their families. The International School aims to provide these options. Upon completion of its expansion, ISL will be well positioned to broaden its programme: continuing to offer outstanding international education opportunities, but to a greater number of students in an optimally equipped learning environment.
