Kikula St. Pölten

GRAFT developed a sustainable children's art laboratory for St. Pölten that meets the needs of a modern society without damaging soil, air or water. It minimizes energy and water consumption, uses established and resilient technologies, renewable energy sources and considers sustainability criteria already in the early project phase.

The driving force of the design is the park with its tree population and existing walkway. The building respectfully recedes from existing groups of trees and individual trees and embraces the natural surroundings. The design is carefully integrated into the context of the park. The connection of exterior and interior, of building and park are in the foreground. The central design element is an existing tree in a patio, around which a spiral ramp moves from the ground floor to the upper floor to the central exhibition space. At the interface between inside and outside, the children move gently along this path from the everyday world into the world of art.

The building envelope emphasizes the sculptural articulation of the cubature. The façade cladding encloses all sides of the building as a vertically relieved, delicate, colorfully vibrating green garment. The façade is designed as a rear-ventilated colored aluminum sheet cladding (e.g. PREFA) as a facing shell on a substructure. This cladding expands in the upper floors in partial areas, so that vertical glass surfaces there ensure natural lighting and views in and out. On the first floor, the lower terminating line of the green outer skin moves up and down in flowing movements and visually connects the interior with the exterior space through expansive glass surfaces. By lifting the façade, the main entrances are emphasized. Towards the Schulring/Wiener Straße, the glass area of the building is generally slightly smaller than towards the park in order to ensure noise protection.