SCHOOL IN TRANSITION: Redevelopment project for De Amicis Nursery and Primary School in Palermo

The project addresses the partial redevelopment of obsolete and disused school spaces at the E. De Amicis Preschool and Primary School, in the Noce district of Palermo. The objective is twofold: on the one hand, to initiate a process of opening up the school’s internal and external spaces, and on the other, to develop a project to modernize and transform some existing building sections, also intended for use by the extracurricular community.

The concept of an open-air school becomes the guiding principle of the project, combining outdoor and “rediscovered” spaces and overcoming the physical and symbolic barriers between school and city. In this vision, the school is configured as a neighborhood civic space, capable of hosting recreational, educational, and recreational activities even outside of school hours.

The key design strategies include: the redesign of the permeable ground, the opening of two new safe entrances for children and parents, the creation of a children’s library overlooking the “book alley,” and the redefinition of the gymnasium’s façade, opening onto a civic space equipped with a pergola and sensory gardens.

Integration, complementarity, flexibility, and the use of informal spaces are the cornerstones of the thesis’ conceptual approach, developed through a participatory process with the educational community. The research also engages with some of the most significant national and international experiences on the topic of open and inclusive schools, including Scuole Aperte in Rete in Italy, Cours d’écoles OASIS in Paris, and Cours de récréation in Brussels, which reinterpret the school building as a civic center and place of connection.

With this thesis, INSULAE SRL renews its commitment to design research applied to educational settings, promoting models of inclusive, flexible, and urban-friendly schools.