PRIMARY SCHOOL IN ALARCÓN. (CUENCA)

This small school, built on a tiny plot in the centre of a village replete with valuable heritage, was subject to the constraints of strict, and not always very wise, planning regulations applied to composition, materials and façade.

Two very different types of façade, in terms of both materials and structure, clearly differentiate two sides of the building. The façade facing the street adapts to planning constraints with plain stone walls, small windows and doors and a tiled roof, while the interior façade, almost invisible from the street, caters more freely to the functional and lighting requirements, with an almost rationalist composition.

While the foundations were being dug, the remains of a 4th-century lintel were found and by popular decision were placed over the entrance to the school and together with an indigo-painted pillar serve to announce the change from one type of façade to another.