Primary school

The architecture of the school cannot help but tell pupils of its duality: of the school as an educational institution in which the individual follows common patterns of behaviour and education (reflected, in the design of the school, through the formal arrangement of the classrooms) and as a place for socialising, which supports the development of the individual as a unique entity with their own will, creativity, abilities and imaginations (reflected in the design through the varied system of common areas, in terms of height and floor plan, with all areas within the school being connected directly to the outdoors). The specifics of the Mediterranean location of the new Oskar Kovačič Škofije primary school necessitates a reflection on the importance of the school’s outdoor spaces: in the school’s design, the outdoor spaces are given the same weight as its indoor areas. The spatial arrangement of the school and its entrance therefore builds on the existing external layout of the memorial to create a path through the memorial park. This communications path unfolds through the school and ends with an exit into the existing sports field. Along the axis through the memorial park, by the dry stone wall, is a bust of Oskar Kovačič by sculptor Jože Pohlen. While construction of the school represents a major investment for the local community, it is also a unique opportunity for raising the quality of life in the area.