Within a community, the educational institution has always been one of the main reference points within the urban fabric. It is the place where various actors of the community – teachers, pupils and parents – meet and exchange views. Indeed, citizenship finds in the school that space in the city where they can meet and – together – grow in cultural and social terms.
In the case of the “Renzo Pezzani” Primary School, which currently occupies an anonymous building lacking architectural quality, the intervention is based on a simple layout, according to a compact figure that makes its civic role explicit. The complex is set on a large courtyard open to the south, intended as a large open-air room, shaded by tall trees under which the children can play. The courtyard is overlooked by walkways that act both as a distributive element and as a transitional element between the internal space and the external environment. The whole school community looks out onto this central place and recognises itself as a large theatre in which to learn and grow.