After more than three years of construction, the pupils of the Altchemnitz school will return to their completely renovated school, including the extension, on Monday, 3 March. Together with Headmistress Ines Bäurich, Lord Mayor Sven Schulze will cut the symbolic ribbon to mark the opening.
Media representatives are cordially invited to attend. The meeting point is 10 a.m. in the Altchemnitz school gym, Schulstraße 2.
The construction work at the Altchemnitz school has been divided into three construction phases and will be carried out between August 2021 and January 2025. The total costs amount to approx. 15.2 million euros. The Sächsische Aufbaubank approved funding totalling 5.63 million euros.
The first construction phase included the construction of the extension, the interior renovation of the main building and the refurbishment of the gymnasium.
The new extension, which houses two additional workrooms, four classrooms and one toilet per floor (barrier-free on the 2nd floor), was placed between the two wings of the main building. This has significantly improved the internal access situation. A new barrier-free entrance was created on the north side of the main building. A lift was integrated into the adjacent existing stairwell, making all floors of the school building accessible. A new direct access to the schoolyard was created in the basement of the main building.
The gymnasium was extensively renovated, including the windows, roof and sanitary facilities. Only the very well-preserved baffle wall and the sports floor remained in place.
The historic supporting structure with steel trusses was uncovered and now gives the sports hall a completely new spatial impression with an almost sacred character.
Following the restructuring, the ground floor mainly houses common rooms and the after-school care centre. The classrooms are located on the first and first floors. Acoustically effective suspended ceilings were installed in all corridors and rooms. The toilets in the existing building were completely refurbished and all basic pipework was renewed. Most of the floor coverings were replaced, doors were completely replaced and adapted to today's requirements for accessibility and fire protection.
The building services such as drinking water, waste water and electrical installations as well as heating and ventilation technology were completely renewed. The district heating connection was laid underground as part of the design of the outdoor facilities. A 49 kWp photovoltaic system helps to cover a large part of the electricity requirements from renewable sources.
The second construction phase included the renovation of the façade and roof of the main building as well as the necessary waterproofing work. Parts of the brickwork and natural stone walls had already broken off the façade and fallen down. All window lintels had to be replaced at great expense, the brickwork had to be replaced and natural stone elements had to be replaced on a large scale.
The roof covering was completely renewed. It was also necessary to replace parts of the roof structure that were infested with pests. To improve the energy efficiency of the existing building, the top storey ceiling and the roof of the sports hall were thermally insulated.
The outdoor facilities were completely redesigned in a third construction phase. An area of 1070 square metres adjoining the schoolyard to the west was leased from Deutsche Bahn on a long-term basis, opening up completely new possibilities for open space design. The schoolyard is particularly characterised by the old trees, which are a great advantage, especially in the summer months, due to the natural shade and the positive effects on the microclimate.
The central element is a 176 metre long and 1.5 metre wide circular path that opens up the grounds and can be used as a scooter track. A play tower, a nest swing, sandboxes, a small streetball field, a calisthenics facility, a table tennis table, a trampoline embedded in the ground, balancing elements and various seating areas enable a wide range of activities. A "green classroom" and the school garden provide spaces for educational use. A covered recreation area with seating steps is available under the new extension for rainy days.
The forecourt and entrance area will also be redesigned, taking into account the conservation aspects. Particular attention will be paid to the specific needs of the special school in terms of school transport. This area can only be completed successively by mid-2025 after completion of the inetz construction project (renovation of the relief structure) on Annaberger Straße.
Background:
The listed Altchemnitz school was built in 1888/89 as a municipal school building from the Gründerzeit period. The U-shaped main building consists of three full storeys plus basement, attic and a sports hall.
Since 1993, the building has been used as a special school specialising in learning.
The existing capacity for 220 pupils was more than exhausted, meaning that the structures and space requirements needed to be revised to enable the building to be used in a contemporary way.
There are currently 225 pupils in grades 1 to 9 with more than 30 teachers and teaching assistants at the Altchemnitz school.
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