A new education complex, complete with American school, coming to Zagreb.
Središće Educational Complex on 46,750 square metres of area will be built in the next few years in the Novi Zagreb city district. The conceptual design was presented yesterday, after the City of Zagreb in July published a competition for the final design of the complex. The first prize has been won by an international team of architects – David A. Croteau, Jenni Katajamäki, Vedran Pedišić and Erick Velasco Farrera. Pedišić and Velasco Farrera, a Mexican who lives in Zagreb, are known as authors of the new school and kindergarten complex in Kajzerica city district, reports Vecernji List on October 27, 2015.
“The complex will consist of three parts – an American international school, a kindergarten and an elementary school”, Erick Velasco Farrera said and added that the American school has been completely adapted to their system of education, in which classes are held not only in classrooms. The classic teacher-student relationship is just part of experience; children learn in groups, work on joint projects, in the classrooms and around them.
The complex has been announced several months ago, and Zagreb mayor Milan Bandić said that both the American and elementary school will have sport facilities as well. At a city council meeting in July, he announced that in 2016 ten schools, ten sports halls and ten kindergartens will be built in 2016 (without specifying which ones). According to the City Office of Education, construction of the Središće complex could begin as early as next year.
The project is worth 115 million kuna and should be built in phases. The American school worth 52 million kuna will be built first, followed by kindergarten worth 18 million kuna and the elementary school worth 45 million kuna.
American school will be attended by about 400 children. Kindergarten will be able to accommodate about 200 children in 10 groups, while the school’s capacity will be around 450 students. Baseball Club Zagreb, whose ballpark is currently located at the proposed site, should be moved to an area east of Lake Bundek, which is already planned for a new sports and recreation centre.
