area 116 | Norway

architect: Reiulf Ramstad Architects

location: Fagerborg

year: 2010

Fagerborg congregation committed Reiulf Ramstad Architects to develop and design a brand new nursery at Fagerborg in central Oslo. An existing nursery and a park of both poor and inappropriate standard was sanitized to make room for the newly completed Fagerborg Kindergarten. The new kindergarten offers 2 units for children between 1-3 years old and 2 units for children between 3-6 years old. Gross building area is around 1200 sqm. There are many cultural heritage guidelines to be considered in the project site. The area is characterised by residential buildings from 1900-1950. As a requirement from the local authority, the kindergarten is to have a contemporary expression. With its location in the middle of a small city park, the kindergarten has an outdoor area that is protected like an enclosed garden.
The planning solution enables the 4 kindergarten units to function both independently and together as required. All units share a common area and a kitchen in the heart of the building. Administration is placed on the upper floor separate from children areas. The architect has been involved from the initial planning and followed the process from programming to final construction and completion. Reiulf Ramstad Architects has designed both the building and the outdoor facility area. Kindergartens are all too often made up by a basic or random and often very poor architectural design. The Fagerborg project did not want to be a part of this trend but rather give the kindergarten an important priority in order to develop a building with a stimulating environment for the next generation.