In early July 2022 the “Farb-Labyrinth” (Colour Labyrinth) proposal was submitted for the art-for-architecture competition for the Südernacher Pänz nursery school in Andernach. The aim is to provide the children with an object that they can walk through and play with.
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The Farb-Labyrinth, a walk-through object, is extremely attractive for children. By its height alone it captivates and makes them curious. The ground plan is so simple that they cannot get lost in it. The children can play catch around it wonderfully well, making tactical decisions about which direction to take and which of the four entrances and exits to use. Through the gaps between the columns it is easy to see who is where.
Inside the object, the children experience a play of colour that corresponds to the colour scheme of the nursery school. The pale shades of yellow are outside, the dark shades of blue inside, so it becomes less bright as they move further inside. In addition to this play of colour, the children also experience a lively play of light, as light enters from outside through the gaps between the columns and generates multiple strips of light. This partial illumination enlivens the colours.
The passage inside the Farb-Labyrinth is wide enough to allow adults, too, to walk through it. The distance between adjacent columns, by contrast, is so small that children cannot squeeze through and cannot put their heads between the columns.
The Farb-Labyrinth is not only an object to be used, but also serves for identification. It makes a mark that can be seen far away and ensures that the school building is unmistakable. This reinforces the children’s feeling of belonging. The name Südernacher Pänz (Südernach kids) generates an image in their heads, especially as the object is a plural item, a sharing of many elements. The Farb-Labyrinth creates a feeling of togetherness.