Large windows, cupboards to climb in and plenty of space: The first day nursery on the site of the ALDI South headquarters in Mülheim is a great place to play, learn and rollick around. At the opening ceremony, there was a lot of praise for the special building.
Since last summer, everyday life has been going on in the “Kiku Burgmäuse”, as the day nursery is named officially. Now the children celebrated the first summer party – together with the nursery team, their parents and many guests. The participating planners and the architects of the KZA office were also there.
A great house for good education
„We have wonderful opportunities to create great education – because we have this house and we can animate it,“ emphasized the head of the day nursery, Katharina Großmann. The children’s environment is always in the foreground. „Every detail you see has a pedagogical meaning,“ emphasized Dr. Christian Meyn, Managing Director of the nursery provider (Kinderzentren Kunterbunt).
Externally, the contrast between the wooden façade and the gold-colored window flannings determines the appearance of the building. There, as well as in the interior, natural materials were used wherever possible. The leitmotif is the theme of the forest. It illustrates the idea of sustainability, which was implemented from the beginning.
Natural materials create comfort
The large-scale use of wood creates a feeling of cosiness among the children. The special scale contributes to their well-being, too: The windows are placed at their eye level. They offer a direct view to the outside and create a visual connection between the different rooms. This underlines the generous, light-flooded overall impression and facilitates orientation. A favorite place for children is the outdoor playroom with elephant slide, sensory path and climbing nets. But inside, there is plenty of room for exercise, too – thanks to climbing frames. There is also a divisible gym, a cafeteria and an attached family centre: it serves as a place to go for parents and can also be used by groups from the district for events.
Individual room concepts In addition to the modern equipment, the individual room concepts enrich the pedagogical work. „For one thing, each group room is different from the next. On the other hand, we have many rooms for differentiation in which we can paint, do handicrafts or make music with the children. That’s amazing, “ said Katharina Großmann.
Currently, there are 94 children aged between zero and six, spread over six groups. Half of the day care places were allocated to ALDI’s employees and their families, the rest to children from the Styrum district.
Further information on the educational concept of the day nursery can be found on the website of the provider; more pictures of the building are available here.
Photos: © Tina Umlauf / ALDI South
