A simple school was recognized as “Building of the Year” at the world festival (10 photos)

Which is not surprising, if you look at its design.





A small Darlington Primary School in Australia has been named the best building of 2024 at the annual World Architecture Festival in Singapore. The school, which is being rebuilt in 2023 in Chippendale, near Sydney, beat out more than 220 finalists, including skyscrapers, museums and airports. Thanks to the thoughtful design by Sydney-based FJC Studio, the school managed to impress the jury and become a model for how educational institutions can be transformed.

And the building really does look fresh.

Sydney suburb school wins Building of the Year award at Singapore International Festival



Schools with this design are not found in every city

The school features a brick building with a saw-tooth roof, as well as open spaces such as a basketball court and a community garden with casuarinas and eucalyptus trees.

The building has a kindergarten and primary classes designed for 500 students





That is, it is a truly small school.

Here you can see the unique metal screens, one of the school's special features



They provide privacy for students and teachers while still allowing daylight into the open terraces.

The project includes elements of cultural heritage



Such as the aboriginal frescoes, transferred from the previous building from 1975. Incidentally, 25% of the school's students are of aboriginal origin.

The school was renovated in stages, so classes were not interrupted



You can take a closer look at the school here.

Who has won before





The festival has already celebrated the second educational project in a row: in 2023, the winner was a school in China (which is a bit mind-blowing, just look!). But in 2022, the winner was the eco-friendly Quay Quarter Tower skyscraper in Sydney - a classic!