Moriyuki Ochiai Architects Designed the Swaggiest Kindergarten Ever in Japan

Combining geometry and fun in a multi-purpose space.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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You can always expect to see colorful spaces in Kindergartens, since architects, designers, and teachers know the power of creatively stimulating young minds. Moriyuki Ochiai Architects have designed this play area for Piccolino Kindergarten in Kangawa, Japan, inspired by the idea of a mountain surrounded by clouds.

The multi-purpose space includes an array of geometric blocks and shapes that form an ascending layout, with movable pieces in the periphery. The colorful triangular blocks can be stacked and rearranged for children to sit on and experiment with building. The room is used as a classroom for art education and also as a venue for exhibitions, workshops, and performances. As children are able to climb and roam through a physical space that they can directly interact with and alter, they gain a hands-on experience in learning about their surroundings.

Ochiai said, "From a kid's perspective, the mountain rises from the clouds changing gradually from white to brown, while adults looking down from the top of the mountain see clouds floating below." Considering how perception can change how something is seen, the architect has built a space that can have a different meaning to each person, regardless of their age.

[via Dezeen]

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