What if a school building could inspire independent thinking? That’s exactly what the Hyperion Lyceum in Amsterdam strives to do. This secondary school moved into its new location on Badhuiskade in 2018. The Stichting Voortgezet Onderwijs van Amsterdam commissioned Ector Hoogstad Architecten to design a building. The goal was to encourage students to think independently and engage their minds.
The Hyperion Lyceum aims to cultivate empathy and a social conscience in its students. The school wants the students to play an active role in society. The design is deliberately unconventional. It has an elusive quality intended to be a source of intellectual and creative inspiration.
This Hyperion Lyceum building stands unusually tall for a secondary school. Its structure features a vertically connected double helix. It includes an atrium and an outdoor route. The route has interconnected terraces winding up the building. Natural light floods the atrium. It illuminates the interior all the way to the basement-level bicycle storage. This makes even the bicycle storage feel like an integral part of the school.
Long diagonal sight lines provide unobstructed views between floors. Each floor has its unique shape. This results in a circuit of terraces at various levels both inside and outside the building. Staircases interconnect all terraces. The terraces provide necessary outdoor space. They anchor the Hyperion Lyceum in its surroundings. They replace a conventional schoolyard. They offer a variety of indoor and outdoor areas for quiet study. Each terrace has its own theme. Themes include a forum an urban garden a sports terrace an outdoor lounge a playground and even a teachers’ terrace. Every terrace provides a particular view and connection with the surrounding neighborhood and city.
Classrooms are also arranged thematically at the Hyperion Lyceum. Various educational disciplines have their own visually distinctive teaching lab. These include languages natural sciences philosophy mathematics and sports. No matter where you are in the building intriguing spaces surround you. These spaces invite you to embark on adventures around the school. This encourages interaction with fellow pupils.
The Hyperion Lyceum embraces a carefully thought-out low-cost approach to construction. The building is decidedly low-tech. It features power-floated concrete floors simple sandwich panels finger-jointed wooden window frames and felt wall panels. Basic galvanized steel railings are also used. The highlight is the two-story slide in the atrium. Students often arrive early just to use it. Parents enjoy it as well.
The Hyperion Lyceum illustrates the planned synergy of educational objectives and architecture. The purpose is to nurture the curiosity of young pupils. It challenges them to explore the world around them. The hope is that the adventurous habits they develop here will remain with them throughout life. The Hyperion Lyceum wants students to learn together. The school wants students to figure out what good education means to them.