The renovation and extension of the Tobiasschool in Amsterdam transforms an existing school building to accommodate contemporary education while preserving the identity of the original architecture. The project responds to two central needs: additional classroom capacity and, following the educational philosophy of the Vrije School, a shared central space that connects the entire school.
Rather than replacing the existing building, the design takes the original structure as its starting point. New volumes are carefully positioned around it, creating a composition in which old and new remain clearly legible while functioning as one school.
A New Heart for the School
The existing building remains the main volume of the Tobiasschool. To make its existing classrooms work within the original dimensions and structural grid, circulation is relocated to a new gallery along the southern façade.
The gallery is conceived as an independent, self-supporting structure. Its glazed façade follows the rhythm of the existing elevation while maintaining maximum visibility of the original architecture behind it. Rather than attaching directly to the historic façade, the gallery is kept physically separate and connected only where necessary by small bridges aligned with existing openings.
A new volume is introduced within the courtyard to accommodate the gymnasium and supporting educational functions. Its roof form refers to the former gymnasium it replaces, while its more solid architectural expression establishes it as a distinct new element.
Between the existing school and this new volume, a transparent connecting structure forms the project's central intervention: the aula. Conceived as the heart of the school, it brings together the different parts of the programme and provides connections both horizontally and vertically. In contrast to the enclosed gymnasium, this central space is open and transparent, creating a clearly recognisable shared place for the school community.
Old and New as a Composition
The architectural language deliberately distinguishes between the different layers of the project. The existing school remains dominant, while the new interventions are subordinate in height and scale.
The courtyard volume is conceived as a robust, largely enclosed structure. Timber gives its façades a natural character that is intended to age over time, while a moss-sedum roof introduces greenery into what was previously a predominantly paved courtyard and contributes to greater biodiversity.
At ground level, the landscape continues into the architecture. The rubber surface of the playground rises into the recessed openings of the new volume, where integrated seating creates an informal transition between building and outdoor space.
The glazed central heart provides a contrasting moment of openness between the existing building and the new gymnasium, making the connection between the different architectural elements visible.
Preserving the Existing Building
Where possible, the original school is retained and restored rather than fundamentally altered. The northern façade preserves its existing appearance, with damaged façade components repaired and glazing replaced only where necessary.
A former director's residence projecting perpendicular to the southern façade is also retained. The new glazed gallery passes around this existing volume, allowing it to remain clearly recognisable within the transformed building. At ground level it naturally marks the school's entrance, while its upper floors accommodate offices.
New rooflights introduce additional daylight, while ventilation supply and exhaust elements are carefully incorporated into the roof plane to minimise their visual impact.
Through this approach, the extension does not attempt to imitate the existing architecture or erase the distinction between different periods. Instead, the project creates a dialogue between preservation and addition: the existing building provides the framework, while a series of precisely defined new interventions gives the school the additional space, connections and shared heart required for its future.
