Back to school: New design lets learning flow

Amstelveen, the Netherlands – The cogs of thought are being put into motion in a multifunctional learning space, thanks to a new, fluid approach to interior design. Panta Rhei, a public school in this North Holland city, has commissioned design studio i29 to kit out its large, open interior environment with furniture that can be used flexibly, allowing students’ imaginations to fill the space.

The furniture used includes the geometrical ‘Chair One’ by Konstantin Grcic for Magis, as well as a number of bespoke desks whose asymmetrical shapes allow for mixing and matching depending on the work at hand. Should the design focus become overwhelming, poems are printed in bold lettering on the floors to emphasis that Panta Rhei is a place for learning.

i29’s work on Panta Rhei underscores the fact that design, with its emotional capabilities, is no longer an indulgence for the preserve of expensive office spaces – educational institutes are being painted with the conceptual brush, too. Damp and mouldy school halls, look out!