A striking 6-storey cube accommodates the Oberstufenzentrum - a secondary vocational school for sciences - and defines an important orientation point in the heterogeneous urban environment in Neukölln. On the outside calm and restrained, a surprisingly rich world opens up on the inside. The internal organization of the building with its dynamic circulation system reflects a school as a place of communication that promotes random conversations, informal encounters, innovation and a spirit of research.
From the ground floor which accommodates an open cafeteria next to the entrance foyer, a wide flight of stairs leads to the first floor. These broad stairs provide seating space for casual groups or for large audiences. The first flight of stairs is followed by a two-story open space with stairs to the next floor. This two-story air space is repeated on the upper floors, rotated by 90 °. This results in a “promenade architecturale” that leads as a helix through the entire school, letting students and visitors experience the building as a whole. Distributed in this circulations space are learning spaces outside the classrooms and laboratories.
The facade of the 6-storey school building is structured and zoned by the different rhythms of vertical metal mullions. The three zones foyer / administration, general classrooms and laboratories can be seen in the structure of the facade.