dominique coulon colors buhl nursery in pink and purple tones

dominique coulon colors buhl nursery in pink and purple tones
all images © david romero-uzeda / eugeni pons

in the french region of alsace, dominique coulon & associés have established a distinctive nursery building described as a distorted ‘lego model of a castle’. appearing as a long volume colored in pink, red and purple tones, the day nursery mimics the orthogonal geometry of the fortified castle. a concrete wall punctuated by circular openings surrounds the building, serving as protection of the playgrounds.

a central room for playing sits at the heart of the rectangular plan

the rectangular plan has been organized to maximize the views of the surrounding mountain landscape. providing an equal spread of areas for playing, learning and resting; the heart of the building is formed by a central space with double height ceilings and explores the use of natural light like a kaleidoscope. the color palette continues from the exterior to the interior spaces. a combination of pinks and reds in matte and glossy finishes define different wall and floor surfaces. in contrast, some rooms have been left completely in white – the juxtaposing of vibrant and neutral tones subtly enriching the spaces.

the blend in matte and glossy colors shape the space to make it richer, distinctive and more inviting

light enters the building through a series of skylights, clerestory windows and glass doors facing the playground. furthermore, the building is surrounded by sixty-eight apple trees which reference back to the local agricultural landscape.

rooms painted in solid colors lead off from large spaces left in white

a combination of light pinks, reds and purples define the interiors

nap room

circular openings interrupt the perimeter wall

a concrete wall circular openings sits at the perimeter of the nursery

the architects describe the building as ‘something like a lego model of a castle’