SpreierTrenner: Salmtal School Canteen

German architects SpreierTrenner Architekten have recently completed the new school canteen of the Salmtal secondary school, Germany. This multifunctional building was designed with a great deal of flexibility in mind, being used not only — and primarily — as a canteen, but also for special events such as music concerts, theatre plays or even Christmas fairs. Thus, a main room was set out with a column-free square plan only subdivided by a mobile wall, while an adjoining section at the rear contains all supporting facilities — kitchen, storage space, toilets and staff facilities.The building's design foresees a possible future expansion.

"The checked windows and the bright red facade were inspired by the idea of creating a playful and interactive, yet efficient building," state the architects. "The starting point was the square plan, and to span it most efficiently a two-directional grid was used." This grid was then transferred onto the façade of the building, allowing for a playful façade design — inspired by the original façade designed in the 1970s —, where multiple windows allow light to pour into the building. According to the architects, this creates "a human scale, allowing for changing outlooks and interesting insights."

The big glazed entrance opens up the main canteen room to the outside, while the cantilevering canopy creates a transition zone between the interior and the playground. To keep the appearance of the gridded roof simple, all ducts, ventilation outlets and lighting are recessed in the ceiling. The integrated lighting produces glowing wood squares that turn the structural trusses into a design feature. The building's main components are concrete, wood and ceramics.

This checkered grid also extends to the outdoors, into two "external classrooms" consisting of staggered concrete cubes, which allow the students to sit down, run around, jump over and, according to the architects, "let out any excess energy that builds up in classroom."

SpreierTrenner Architekten: Salmtal Secondary school school canteen
Architects: SpreierTrenner Architekten
Structure: Ingenieurbüro Johann Ritz
M&E: Haustechnik Elmar Koller
Location: Salmtal, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Client: Schulverband Integrierte Gesamtschule Salmtal
Area: 552 square metres (gross building area); 2,630 cubic metres (gross volume); 1,122 square metres (schoolyard)