This extension to a day-care centre for disabled adults in the Swiss town of Stans has been kitted out with muted red awnings and spiralling pastel-tinged walkways.

Local studio Architekten CM was tasked with designing the building for the Weidli Stans Foundation, which provides accommodation and learning support for adults with multiple physical and mental impairments.
The day-care centre is located alongside an accommodation block on the edge of the town in the Swiss canton of Nidwalden. It allows the foundation to offer additional services focused on sensory experiences, creativity, play and music.

The multi-storey building optimises the space available on the designated plot, but presented a challenge for the design team as many users have disabilities that prohibit them from climbing stairs. An entrance towards the centre of the building opens onto a foyer flanked on one side by a dedicated circulation area containing a series of sweeping ramps and landings.

"The commitment to barrier-free access to four floors led to the idea of ascending or descending connection routes," said the architects.
"In order to make use of the space required for this purpose, it was conceived both as a meeting place and an activity room."

The sides of the concrete ramps that curl up through the bright, window-lined circulation space are stained in different colours to help severely impaired users navigate more easily.
The colour scheme is continued throughout the roo...