continued

Colorful Storytelling

To make the kindergarten friendly and inviting, Knafo Klimor Architects gave a great deal of attention to imagery. The outer walls are rendered in bright colors and carved into shapes that spark the children's imagination for storytelling. The three elephants on the outside walls might also serve, for instance, to illustrate the story of the three bears. On the interior walls, the elephants metamorphose into hippos, turtles, and other animals.

As a clear accommodation for its small occupants, one of the two main-entrance doors is a tot-scaled four feet (1.2 meters) high. "My first thought is always directed to those who will use the building," says Knafo. "I feel that form is a kind of communication between the building and its dwellers."

He is also interested in building a connection to the environment. "Thus," he explains, "in the kindergarten there is an opening to nature, to the blue of the sky and the beige of sand. There is an immediacy between inside and outside — a very Israeli phenomenon."

Another phenomenon Knafo works with is the interplay of light and shade. "We place our design in such a way as to create new architecture: the natural contrast between light and shade creates a new range of form and color. Two-dimensional architecture will eventually create a richer composition of color, which, in turn, will enrich the child's experience."

Knafo acknowledges that a kindergarten is the place of a child's first encounter with the outside world. "We strove to make this encounter as smooth as possible by using figures from an imaginary world, from the toy kit, from nature. All are nonformal themes with which the child can identify emotionally."

A kindergarten is where children develop first impressions of the built environment. Knafo and Klimor have taken this responsibility very seriously.

Discuss this article in the Architecture Forum...

Lili Eylon is a freelance writer based in Jerusalem and a contributing editor to ArchitectureWeek.

A new kindergarten in Caesarea, Israel, by Knafo Klimor Architects. Photo: Knafo Klimor Architects Fin walls shaped like elephants delight and inspire the children's imaginations. Photo: Knafo Klimor Architects Simple shapes become storybook characters. Photo: Knafo Klimor Architects The architects use the contrast between light and shade to extend their range of form and color. Photo: Knafo Klimor Architects Floor plan of the kindergarten in Caesarea, Israel by Knafo Klimor Architects. Image: Knafo Klimor Architects North elevation of the kindergarten in Caesarea, Israel by Knafo Klimor Architects. Photo: Knafo Klimor Architects Half-height walls are carved in shapes to extend the storytelling metaphors. Photo: Knafo Klimor Architects Interior cut-outs give an openness to a space still effectively divided for group and quiet activities. Photo: Knafo Klimor Architects   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.