Architectural and social revitalisation of an urban district by:

The urban district of Bismarck is in dramatic structural changes with economic, social and urban planning problems. In the context of social neighbourhood development, the comprehensive school has become an institution which carried the hopes and which served as an identity factor of the population around. Since 1997, the school ensemble has been established as a „growing district school“ according to an architectural and pedagogical concept. Its various products go far beyond general school activities. The rooms have been partly planned by the pupils. They are open to the neighbourhood and form today the cultural centre of the urban district.

Construction and operation of the school are based on an overall concept considering ecological conclusions apart from pedagogical requirements in the same way as the opening and use for the urban district. Thus, children, parents and teachers e.g. were intensively involved in the planning and partly actively in the realisation. The current spatial use is partly based on cooperation and on individual action of the groups concerned.

The school has become a social and cultural centre of the urban district. Opening and integration of the school into the urban district are practised. The school ensemble has become a positive identification factor in a stigmatised urban district.

Extraordinary pedagogical and social commitment by school authority and teachers; extraordinary financial commitment of the school authority, public funds

Evangelische Gesamtschule Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck
Phone: +49 (0209) 983030
sekretariat@e-g-g.de
http://www.e-g-g.de/

01/01/1997

case

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Education

Secondary education