Asilo Sant'Elia

The main entrance is protected by an ample cantilevered portico, whose function is providing shelter for the relatives waiting for the children and for the children themselves as they throng to the exit. The ample, well-lit atrium is part of a larger covered space forming the recreational centre. The kindergarten is to be considered a home for a large family, which has encouraged avoiding long, monotonous corridors. Hence, the principal rooms, classrooms, refectory and offices are located around this atrium-recreational centre that lies at the heart of the building. In summer time, the glass wall separating the two recreational zones may be folded back to create one single, easily supervised area. A large ramp leads to the solarium located above the portico and is decorated with a hanging garden. This feature has a highly useful function of offering protection from the excesses of temperature and climate for the underlying rooms.