© José Hevia
Already from afar, the six storey building of the Colegio Reggio is a true eye-catcher. The school, located in Madrid’s wealthy district of Encinar de los Reyes, is based on concepts of the Reggio Emilia approach to pedagogy. This educational philosophy was developed in the 1970s and focuses on autonomous learning. An environment with an interesting design is supposed to inspire children’s curiosity. The architect Andrés Jaque and his Office for Political Innovation took this requirement seriously: With its different forms, colours and textures, the building resembles a toy castle. The cork facade tinted in bright honey yellow contributes to an expressive appearance while emphasising the ecological aims of the facility.