Image via Complex Original
Today's architects are saving their talents for the kids. With a slew of high-design kindergarten buildings, kids these days are getting the royal treatment. Why send your child to a traditional school house when they could go to school in a giant tree house? Being too cool for school is a thing of the past. From China to Italy, these awesome kindergardens are everywhere. Check out our list of 20 Coolest Kindergarten Buildings.
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20. Kindergarten Terenten
Location: Terenten, Italy
Architect: Feld72
Year built: 2011
The best part of this system of buildings is its stunning location. And giant windows make sure the students are constantly enjoying the sweeping views around them. This kindergarten is made up of three buildings that are interconnected.
19. New XIUYI Kindergarten Proposal
Location: Kunshan, China
Architect: Studio 7 of Urban Architecture
Year built: In progress
This kindergarten empire is the largest we've seen! But to be fair, China probably needs it with their large population.
18. Kensington International Kindergarten
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Architect: Plan Architect
Year built: In progress
Hands down one of the coolest playgrounds we've ever seen, this kindergarten boasts a built-in racetrack. The curvy shapes and welcoming feel makes it safe and fun. But getting kids down for a nap would be impossible in this fun school.
17. Kindergarten Lotte
Location: Tartu, Estonia
Architect: Kavakava Architects
Year built: 2008
The futuristic and geometric elements in this building make it so elegant. The geometry is all about the triangles, so it has a cool way of teaching kids facts about geometry long before they will actually learn math.
16. Kita Josef-Felder-Strasse
Location: Augsburg, Germany
Architect: Hiendl Schineis Architekten
Year built: N/A
This kindergarten has a wood cabin design and an organic vibe. The similarities between the lamps and the windows create a sense of unity in the design.
15. Ring Around a Tree Structure Kindergarten
Location: LTachikawa, Tokyo, Japan
Architect: Tezuka Architects
Year built: 2011
This tree was converted into a single classroom kindergarten. Though it may not be the most efficient design, it certainly is awesome. Recess is on a whole new level at this giant tree-house school, though.
14. Vilhelmsro Primary School
Location: Asminderoed, Denmark
Architects: BIG Architects
Year built: In progress
This facility is all about sustainability and nature. The undulating structure creates a giant compilation of roof gardens that balance with the influx of natural light.
13. Children's Activity and Learning Center
Location: Koh Koodin, Thailand
Architects: 24h-Architecture and Habita Architects
Year built: 2007-2009
Imagine learning in a giant tree house every day. While that's not yet possible, the Soneva Kiri Resort created this awesome playhouse and learning center for children who visit their resort. This magical tree house has a library, kitchen, art room, music room, balcony, and slide. It's everything a kid could every want.
12. T Nursery
Location: Dazaifu, Fukuoka, JAPAN
Architect: Uchida.Tak Architects
Year built: 2013
This interesting building is all about functionality. The piece are built separately but intertwined so it's easy to change the size of the structure. The natural lighting is beautiful, and every bay window has a clerestory and low window for natural light. But the unfinished interior makes us wary of splinters for our young ones.
11. School in Chermignon
Location: Chermignon, Canton Valais, Switzerland
Architect: Frei Rezakhanlou Architectes
Year built: 2011
This modern building is mainly white but has splashes of color thrown in. The school's architectural focus is making open air-environments safely and easily accessible to the children. Lets hope these kids appreciate the good life.
10. Bubbletecture M
Location: Shiga, Japan
Architect: Huhei Endo Architect Institute
Year built: 2009
The architect designed this space to be interesting and freeing for its students. The shape and space is supposed to stimulate creativity and imagination. The beauty of the geometry makes this school one of the most aesthetically pleasing on our list.
9. Childcare Center
Location: Enzersdorf, Austria
Architects: MAGK and Illiz Architektur
Year built: 2012
This school features a large central arena so the five villages nearby also have a theater space. Creating a place that has a different use during the day than at night seems difficult but very functional.
8. Kindergarten Barbapapà
Location: Vignola, Italy
Architect: CCD Studio
Year built: 2012
This sustainable school has enough solar power and garden space to support up to 60 children. Geothermal probes provide heating, and rain is collected and used to irrigate the gardens. These are only a few of the sustainable features of this kindergarten.
7. Kindergarten in La Chana
Location: Granada, Spain
Architect: Elisa Valero Ramos
Year built: 2011
This modern single-story school minimizes the disruptive external noise so students can concentrate. It's safe, simple, and very functional in a non-traditional way. The juxtaposition between the stark white exterior and the colorful interior is meant to inspire creativity.
6. A Prototype for 21st Century Education
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
Architects: Sarit Shani Hay and Lev Gargir Architects
Year built: 2010
Utopian ideals are abundant in this New Age school in Israel. The focus of the school is having children enjoy their childhood while learning about vocational roles. They encourage kids to be free and creative while they are safe and contained.
5. Timayui Kindergarten
Location: Santa Marta, Colombia
Architect: Giancarlo Mazzanti
Year built: 2011
This system of buildings was created for the open education ideals, so the buildings could be used for many things rather than just classrooms. In the morning there could be a math lesson and in the evening there could be a play, all in the same room.
4. Christ the King Kindergarten
Location: Hyogo, Japan
Architect: Atelier Cube
Year built: 2012
The pixelated structure of the building mirrors what the children will be experiencing in their everyday lives. But let's hope these kids don't get too caught up in their tech-savvy lifestyles and forget to enjoy nature once in a while. The trees pictured by the school don't look too promising.
3. Kindergarten Guntramsdorf
Location: Guntramsdorf, Austria
Architect: The Group of Young Architects (GOYA)
Year built: 2011
Kids these days just don't learn to play outdoors in the same way that they used to. Group of Young Architect from Austria decided to try to fix this and have kids grow up loving the outdoors. The playground and school are completely incorporated into the woods. The scale of the building is geared to make the children feel more comfortable. Let's just hope all the teachers are short too.
2. Bartomeu Ordines Primary School
Location: Consell, Spain
Architects: Pep Ripoll and Juan Miguel Tizón (Ripolltizon)
Year built:2010
This new building is an extension of the Bartomeu Ordines Primary School. It has six new classrooms and is designed to incorporate themes of sunlight. The geometric and modern building features many open-air spaces including a vegetable garden. Braque would have thoroughly enjoyed this Cubist-inspired architecture.
1. LOOP Kindergarten
Location: Tianjin, China
Architects: Sako Architects
Year built: 2009-2012
This building was designed to be a "colorful colosseum of education." It is completely child proofed, meaning there is not a single sharp edge, and it incorporates 18 different colors. The blend of amusement and safety creates a perfect space for children's education. The colors are also functional and help the students distinguish the different parts of the building, which would be hard to do otherwise due to it's circular shape. The rooftop garden is a fun and fresh playground for the children.
