A Cutting-Edge Timber Campus Rises In Frankfurt

When conjuring an image of a school, certain materials likely come to mind—brick, poured concrete, painted cinder blocks—and perhaps these attributes as well: solid, immovable, permanent. But with its design for a modular, timber primary and secondary school in Frankfurt—which will be dismantled and repurposed elsewhere later this decade—German architecture studio von Gerkan, Marg and Partners Architects aims to change the perception of what an education building can be.

The 175,000-square-foot Westend School Campus comprises 350 prefabricated modules, with exterior paneling in Douglas fir and interiors of glued-laminated timber boards, all the wood not only harvested from European forests but also providing a massive reduction in carbon-dioxide emissions throughout construction. The unique modular process—whereby the GMP-designed walls, facades, and floors were assembled in Switzerland and trucked to the site—also resulted in a start-to-finish timeline of just two years, markedly faster than comparable non-modular projects. GMP associate partner Bernd Gossmann says that the three-story edifice, with two internal courtyards for recess and outdoor play, “unobtrusively exudes a feel-good atmosphere that noticeably calms pupils and teachers. It’s like anti-stress training.” The reviews are so positive, in fact, that the city has com­missioned the firm to replicate its model for a permanent structure slated to open in 2028.