In 2012, it was decided to relocate the Antwerp Freinet School, de kRing, due to a lack of space on the shared campus of the Koninklijk Atheneum. A new building, squeezed between the existing sports hall and the Singel, became the subject of a closed competition, with Areal Architects emerging as the winning practice.

As part of the ‘Groene Singel’ visual quality plan, ‘de kRing’ must bring together the visions of many stakeholders. After all, the school had to be embedded within the landscape of the emerging green boulevard. On top of that, the city centre also plays a role, as do, of course, the immediate neighbours: the De Villegas neighbourhood park and the AXA building. It was a formidable challenge to provide a fitting response within this unique context that works across these different scales. And yet the result seems perfectly natural.