Kromme Rijn College

The school at Rubenslaan 91 was built between 1956 and 1958 as a ULO school (Uitgebreid Lager Onderwijs – Extended Primary Education). It was intended for children with severe educational challenges. The client was the Association for Christian Primary and Extended Education. The architect was Piet Dingemans, a well-known architect from Utrecht.

The typology of the school is that of a corridor school, where all classrooms are accessed from a central corridor. Characteristic features of the architecture include the alternation of solid and transparent façade sections. The type of brick used—both inside and out—is also distinctive, as is the design of the windows with slender profiles and a combination of fixed and operable panes. The concrete load-bearing structure and brickwork have been left exposed in the interior.

For the existing building, we created a new layout that fits well within the existing structure. Interior brick walls are retained, and new openings are placed with great precision. Shafts have been carefully integrated to comply with the structural constraints, and new installations have been cleverly repositioned so that all ceilings can be accommodated between the concrete beams. We consider it essential that the concrete structure remains tangible within the interior.