“Silberdrachenwelten” that sounds like a fairy tale doesn’t it? That’s exactly what the Erika-Mann-Grundschule became. This school is more than just bricks and mortar. It is a place of learning, life, and relationships for all children.
Erika-Mann-Grundschule is located on Utrechter Straße. It stands as a protected historical landmark. The school bears the name of Erika Mann, a famous actress, cabaret artist, writer, and lecturer.
In 1914, the city of Berlin acquired this oddly shaped property. City building councilor Ludwig Hoffmann built two separate buildings here between 1914 and 1916. These buildings continued the block and formed a courtyard inside.
Look at the symmetrical street facade facing Utrechter Straße. Note the prominent central section. Colossal Ionic pilasters emphasize it. The central component contains two superimposed gymnasiums. Teacher apartments once occupied the side areas. A public library and a municipal poor office were also here. The classroom wing connects to Malplaquetstraße. It is complemented by an inward-facing side wing.
Hoffmann had sandstone reliefs installed to prepare the children for school life. Bears, the heraldic animals of Berlin, are above the entrances. Putti playing with books, a calculator, and plants are in the courtyard.
Starting in 2003, the building underwent extensive renovation. Hallway areas became versatile common areas. New seating and wardrobe elements created different atmospheres. These also provided space for differentiated instruction in small groups. During the second phase in 2006 and 2007, the building was expanded for all-day operation. Various hallways and classrooms became leisure landscapes. They adapt to the children’s learning rhythm.
The Baupiloten, students from the TU Berlin, redesigned the school. Together with the schoolchildren, they developed the fiction of the Silberdrachenwelten. The brightly designed school corridors and stairwells became additional learning and living environments for the children.
Transparent veils move in the wind. Shimmering textile wardrobe lockers divide the long hallway. The students can sit in the imaginary dragon wing to read and work together. A musical learning path is in the main stairwell. It makes the dragon dance and jump. A gallery displaying the students’ work was created in a side stairwell.
The Erika-Mann-Grundschule sees itself as a place where theater and creative skills can be expressed. It is a key to their educational work. Today, the Erika-Mann-Grundschule stands not only as a place of education but as a testament to creative transformation. It embraces the spirit of the Silberdrachenwelten.