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STATE PRIMARY SCHOOL
/ ATHUS (LUXEMBOURG PROVINCE)
/ 1981–1982
/ 1983–1984
This structure seems to mark a turning point in the
work of Philippe Samyn. Its highly geometric composi-
tion combines simplicity and complexity, and may, in
this respect, be compared with a nursery school built
by Victor Horta in the Marolles district in 1896, as
well as to a kindergarten built in Frameries by Jacques
Dupuis, Emile Fays and Simone Guillissen-Hoa in 1956.
It may also be likened to the examples given in Alfred
Roth’s The New School, from the inter-war period. The
distance the architect has travelled is considerable.
Although a structural and geometric inspiration can be
seen in Horta, there is a controlled freedom in the com-
position of spaces and their transparency that unfolds
here with great originality. The highly subtle modulation
of natural and artificial lighting, as well as the variable
height of the premises, give the entire structure a light-
hearted and – to borrow a favourite phrase of the archi-
tect – gentle character, and a scale that had not been
deployed in his earlier works. In particular, the relative
inflexibility of the Waterloo Athénée has disappeared,
although the systematic organisation of the layout plan
is just as rigorous. From here on, the clear legibility of
the structure and its precise dimensions will be the
marks of the Philippe Samyn ‘brand’, as will be the care
taken in creating facades whose depths are sensitive
and expressive, whatever the technique used.
Cross-sections and facades
Ground-floor plan