Design by Tezuka Architects | Photograph by Katsuhisa Kida
 
At the award-winning Fuji Kindergarten in Tokyo, children run endless laps around a ringed roof that doubles as a playground. Completed in 2007 by Tezuka Architects, the Montessori can accommodate up to 600 children aged 2-6.
The continuous space allows children to freely explore, discover and interact with their environment. There is no play equipment installed and the roof is only 2.1 metres tall (6’8″), allowing a close connection between levels. Children can scramble up a bank and climb a set of stairs to reach a slide from the deck back to the ground.
 
Design by Tezuka Architects | Photograph by Katsuhisa Kida
 
“Just as a fish cannot live in purified water, children cannot live in a clean, quiet and controlled environment,” says Takaharu Tezuka. And when the children first started interacting the building it was an emotional moment, Tezuka tells Dezeen: “It was simple, they just started running, said Tezuka. “It was beyond our expectations. I was sitting with the principal and everyone had tears. It was amazing, an instant reaction.”  
Design by Tezuka Architects | Photograph by Katsuhisa Kida
Design by Tezuka Architects | Photograph by Katsuhisa Kida
Design by Tezuka Architects | Photograph by Katsuhisa Kida
 
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