Building a school in Mayotte means dealing with many issues on several levels in a very different way than here in Europe – educationally, but also socio-economically and ecologically. The small Comorian island of Mayotte, north of Madagascar, belongs to France and is part of the EU. Of the approximately 180,000 inhabitants, more than half are younger than 20. In view of the strong population growth and the resulting increase in the number of pupils, the outdated temporary multi-purpose secondary school needs to be replaced with new buildings. The architecture should meet the requirements and goals of a state school, but also consider the specific needs of young Mahorans. The adolescents and young adults need a framework that promotes their education and vocational training, but is also linked to their cultural tradition and familiar environment.

We decided to combine the know-how of Austrian and French architects and our local partners in Mayotte for the new construction of the Lycée Tani Malandi. The team Dietrich | Untertrifaller Architectes, Fabienne Bulle Architecte et Associes and Endemik Mayotte won the 2020 competition. The large-scale project with capacity for over 2,000 pupils includes not only classrooms but also sports facilities, a school restaurant with kitchen and a boarding school. The fluent connection of the different functions creates an inspiring space for working, eating, sleeping and relaxing.