Sidi el-Aloui Primary School

Tunis, Tunisia

Conceived as an alternative to standard school design in Tunis, this building, carefully related to its context, came about through the efforts of a local citizens' group. The school is located in a very dense sector of the Tunis medina, an ancient neighbourhood of narrow winding streets, cul-de-sacs and small courtyards. Erected on a site left vacant since its housing was demolished in the 1960's, the entrance façade faces a public park. This façade is symmetrical about the park's principal axis. The main door is given importance by a two-storey assembly of mashrabiyyas directly above it, the lower enclosing a balcony, the upper recessed within the window frame. The façade wing is one storey higher than the rest of the school to bring it into the scale of neighbouring structures and accommodate the headmaster's suite. The jury concluded that "this school constitutes a remarkably urbane and responsible building block in the overall fabric of the city."

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture