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Maria Ward Schools Nuremberg

The completed new building in downtown Nuremberg brings together a grammar school (Gymnasium), a secondary school (Realschule), and a primary school under one roof. The compact, three- to four-story structure fits seamlessly into the dense urban environment between Keßlerplatz and Prinzregentenufer. Among other facilities, the building houses 65 classrooms as well as a triple sports hall, which was built underground due to space constraints.

Completion

2022

Gross floor area

20.510 m²

Developer

Erzdiözese Bamberg

Architecture
H2M Architekten + Stadtplaner GmbH
Concrete fassade
Hemmerlein Ingenieurbau GmbH
ZAB
ZAB
Flexibility of use
Flexibility of use
Recycled building material
Recycled building material
Renovation
Renovation
On-site recycling
On-site recycling
Prefabrication
Prefabrication

The architectural concept arranges the spaces in a flexible, ring-shaped structure around a central, oval atrium. A key aspect of the circular economy is reflected in this project's choice of materials for the building envelope. Recycled concrete was used for the washed, exposed concrete elements of the facade. In the spirit of urban mining, red demolition brick, sourced directly from the demolished predecessor buildings on the site, served as an aggregate for the new concrete. This direct, on-site recycling reduces the demand for new primary raw materials and preserves the material of the old building stock within the new cycle.

The building's envelope is designed as a closed cavity facade featuring three-by-six-meter window elements. To provide a direct supply of fresh air to the classrooms, the planners integrated pivotable ventilation flaps made of solid brass into these elements.

Text: ZAB | Sources: H2M Architekten, Hemmerlein Ingenieurbau GmbH