Giancarlo Mazzanti's Lively 'Spaces for Learning'
John Hill | 20. August 2019
Marinilla Educational Park in Marinilla, Colombia, 2015 (Photo: Rodrigo Dávila, courtesy of El Equipo Mazzanti)
A new short film from PLANE—SITE reveals the playful design process of Colombian architect Giancarlo Mazzanti, head of Bogotá's El Equipo Mazzanti.
Baby Gym Barranquilla in Barranqilla, Colombia, 2013 (Photo: Rodrigo Dávila, courtesy of El Equipo Mazzanti)
The short film, "Giancarlo Mazzanti on Social Spaces for Learning," clearly focuses on the architecture studio's educational spaces, but a better titled might be "Giancarlo Mazzanti on Socials Spaces for Playing." Mazzanti's words reflect abundant research that recognizes the value of play in the educational development of children.
Accordingly, by using atypical building blocks — such as those shaped as geodes rather than rectilinear prisms — Mazzanti's schools, libraries, and other educational projects have lively spaces that encourage play as much as they do traditional learning.
Flor del Campo School in Cartagena, Colombia, 2010 (Photo: Cristobal Palma, courtesy of El Equipo Mazzanti)