The competition-winning design by IPA - Architecture and more for a new municipal school in Manastirski Livadi East, Triaditsa District, Sofia, creates an educational building for 980 students. The concept combines functional organization, flexible learning spaces, green terraces, sports facilities, and outdoor learning areas. The architectural design approaches the school not only as a place for education but also as a community center integrated into the neighborhood and connected with the future linear park.
The school is organized across four above-ground and two underground levels, with an extensive sports area located below ground. The program includes learning studios for 980 students, a restaurant with its own kitchen, STEAM centers, multifunctional spaces, a small gym, and elevated green outdoor areas that support outdoor learning. Outside school hours, neighborhood residents will have access to an indoor swimming pool, a large gym, the library, a running track, and outdoor sports courts.
The architectural concept expands the traditional school model through a flexible and open environment supporting different forms of learning and interaction. A central principle is the balance between the built footprint and outdoor areas. The “courtyard as living room” idea turns the schoolyard into a natural extension of the learning spaces and an outdoor setting for everyday school life. Terracing provides visual and physical contact with nature at every level, while all classrooms have access to terraces designed for their respective age groups.
The spatial organization follows four main circulation flows corresponding to different user groups: students in grades 1 through 4, students in grades 5 through 7, public access outside school hours, and a continuous pedestrian connection with the future linear park. Access for younger students is organized from the north, with parking and a short-stay drop-off area. The main entrance for students in grades 5 through 7 and for public visitors outside school hours is located along Todor Dzhebarov Street.
The volumetric concept is based on three primary ideas: movement, growth, and the presence of nature at different levels. Organizing the school across four above-ground floors maximizes the amount of green and courtyard space available on the site. Vertical development also becomes part of the educational logic, with each school year associated with a different sector of the building and a gradual progression through its levels.
The learning units are clearly defined and circulation is separated for the two main age groups. A central principle is the flexibility of the learning and multifunctional spaces. Learning studios can be combined with adjacent rooms or divided to accommodate small, medium, and large groups of students. Some can also open toward the corridor, allowing circulation areas to become additional learning environments.
Different learning modes are developed through the concepts “Summit,” “Cave,” “Hearth,” “Pond,” “Experience,” and “Movement.” These are most clearly expressed in the multifunctional zones, which support individual and collaborative work, play, communication, movement, and different educational scenarios.
The foyer is organized as the social heart of the school, with a central performance stage, stepped theater seating, and areas for play and informal interaction. It connects directly to the library and restaurant, which can open toward the foyer and operate independently outside school hours. The sports area includes a large gym and an indoor swimming pool accessible to the community. The smaller gym incorporates a climbing wall with a slide, a foam pit, stretching and warm-up areas, wall bars, mirrors, and movable modular benches.
The STEAM centers combine classrooms for visual arts, music, computer science, physics, chemistry, biology, and technology studies. The spaces are connected through a multifunctional core and can be opened or combined according to specific learning activities. Brighter color accents are used in these areas to support the dynamic and creative character of the program. The two-level library separates quiet areas from more active spaces and is designed as a well-lit, accessible environment for different age groups.
The foyer, library, restaurant, and gyms are designed to be accessible to external visitors outside school hours. This allows parts of the school to operate independently of the teaching areas and develops the building as an educational and community center for Manastirski Livadi and the wider Triaditsa District.
The functional layout is based on maximum adaptability through movable furniture, folding partitions, curtains, and mobile equipment. Spaces can be transformed according to different teaching formats, group sizes, and activities. This approach allows the school environment to change with the educational process rather than treating the conventional classroom as the only model for learning.
The color concept responds to both the psychological impact of color and the functional logic of the different spaces. White dominates the learning studios as a bright, neutral base, complemented by pastel shades of blue, yellow, and green. More saturated colors are used in shared spaces to support wayfinding and distinguish different functions. The color system is coordinated with the exterior and evolves vertically according to the age groups and program of each level.
As part of the sustainable design, the project uses a compact vertical organization, green terraces, maximum preservation of outdoor areas, and direct contact between learning environments and nature. The new municipal school in Triaditsa combines education, sports, culture, and community functions in a building that remains active beyond school hours and connects spatially with the future linear park and surrounding neighborhood.
