SKIN / At Drulingen, the street-facing facade of the Child Care Centre rises up as mesh of wood . . . (Siberian larch)
. . . as a sort of protection and a warning towards the high traffic at the entrance to the town. At first sight, its almost brutal and falsely chaotic appearance recalls a castle portcullis. Yet then, the crossing planks of wood also evoke also more the peaceful, traditional lattice fences of Alsace.
In addition to the effect of surprise that this lattice creates in contrast to the fluid and smooth interior, this envelope has three specific functions. Its openings and the varied orientations of the rotating boards block the sun during the hottest hours of the day and protect against burglary. On the roof terrace, the upper extremities of the lattice serve as a railing.
