Vocational College Rheine

The renovation and new construction project will enable Rheine Vocational College to offer its wide range of educational opportunities at a central location in future. At the heart of the design is a holistic spatial concept that focuses on the needs of the more than 2,300 students who will be prepared for their professional future here. The connection of the new building to the existing vocational college was designed to create a uniform address for the entire campus.

Situated on the western boundary of the site, the building blends harmoniously into its surroundings and opens up the school site to the city. The arrangement of the new four-storey building ensures that the main routes for users are clearly structured. A spacious welcome square guides visitors from the south-east along a »glass bakery« into the building and the central entrance hall.

The central entrance hall is designed as an open »market hall«. In it, each cluster has its own space with a kind of shop window that provides insights into the various subject areas. The hall provides space for school events, conferences and examinations. Stairs and seating invite people to linger and meet. The transparent architecture allows views between the floors and creates an atmosphere that reflects the lively everyday life of the school.

The cluster model at Vocational College Rheine enables a flexible room design that can be easily adapted to changing educational requirements. Each cluster comprises spacious learning areas in which theory and practice rooms merge seamlessly.

The façade of the new building picks up on the existing material and color scheme of the campus, which is characterized by red clinker brick façades with white accents. A combination of red clinker brick slips and a metal curtain wall ensures a harmonious integration into the existing building.