TOILA SCHOOL ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION

Our design for the new Toila Elementary School is rooted in the idea of Crossing Stories—a meetingpoint of eras, ideas, and people. The project carefully integrates a new architectural volume with theexisting historic school building, creating a unified whole that reflects both legacy and progress. The newextension doesn’t compete with the past—it elevates it. At the core of the building, two architecturalaxes intersect: one that follows the historical layout, and another that defines a new movement spineconnecting the main entrance, sports complex, and outdoor areas. This intersection becomes a livelycentral atrium—an open, light-filled heart of the school where history andfuture co-exist.

The spatial concept avoids traditional corridor logic in favor of fluid, multifunctional rooms thatencourage both interaction and focus. Classrooms, gathering zones, and quiet nooks are arranged tosupport the needs of both students andteachers’spaces for learning, recharging, and growing. Thepreserved building is activated through minimal but strategic changes that breathe new life into itsstructure, while the new wing steps out naturally from the old in a way that feels seamless andinevitable. Careful phasing ensures that school life can continue uninterrupted during construction, withthe outdated Soviet-era annex only removed once the new volume is complete.

Landscape and terrain play an equally important role in the design. The sports building follows thetopography, allowing the school to extend naturally into the site. Outdoor areas are divided byfunction—sheltered learning terraces, active play zones, and peaceful green spaces for rest and mentalwellbeing. The design respondsto the surrounding Oru Park and historic forms on the site, including thememory of the former stable building, with a layered, terraced terrain and careful material choices thatspeak the language of Toila’s past.

Toila, long known as a cultural and natural destination, deserves a school that reflects its spirit. Ourproposal is not just abuilding,it’s an educational landscape, where students encounter the past everyday while stepping confidently into the future.Through clear structure, natural forms, and architecturalprecision, Crossing Stories becomes a living narrative—one that connects generations and makes spacefor new ones to begin.