The Junior College is the first build project in a new suburban area in Julianadorp Oost. The building's continuous round form is an indentifiable and recognisable element in an otherwise unremarkable neighbourhood.
By placing the schools' programme on the outside of a cylinder, an open protected area is created at the centre forming a lively atrium space with plenty of daylight and planting. This atrium can be seen as an internal schoolyard, a 'beating heart' which gives protection against the extremely windy conditions on this location.
The programme, consisting of class rooms for three separate education-blocks and supporting functions, climbs in stepped floor field levels accessed from a rising curved ramp meandering around the atrium. Therefore no elevations exist in the building; all rooms are neighbours of each other.
Each block has its own special room; a double height student workspace opening towards the atrium. The three student workspaces have different colours, representing the identity of each individual block and playing an important role for the orientation within the building.
The atrium roof has a span of 14 metres and is formed from a steel truss construction with transparent balloons in between. The ramp, with the atmosphere of a dark and intimate monastery hallway, contrasts with the overwhelmingly bright atrium. The presence of large, dense bamboo plants give the 400m2 big atrium the appearance of an outdoor space.
At ground level the external façade is composed of large glass plane, visually connecting the internal schoolyard to the terrain outside and giving the building an inviting character. Above the glass plinth the façade is cladded with a sinusoidal profiled aluminium system. The curves of the cladding sheets are vertically coated in two colours, which makes the colour of the round façade transform gradiently from one side to another, without changing while walking around the building. This difference between colour and form makes the upper part of the building appear to float.
