Lycée Tani Malandi, Mayotte (FR)
New building
Client: Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale, de l’Enseignement Supérieur, de la Recherche et de l’Innovation, Rectorat de Mayotte
Location: Chirongui, Mayotte
Architecture: Dietrich Untertrifaller with Fabienne Bulle Architecte et Associés and Endemik Mayotte
Construction: 2024 – 2026
Area: 23.300 m²
Programme: Vocational school, administration and multi-purpose hall, library and leisure facilities, classrooms, sports facilities, school restaurant with kitchen, boarding school for 2,056 pupils
Visualisation: Jeudi Wang
Team
Rebecca Burjack, Mathieu Chatagnier, Laure Finck, Lucas Gaudinet, Ivana Hurstel, Margeaux Kleindienst, Claire Leroy (Project management), Lisa Mathoul, Cristiana Munteanu, Barbara Penhouët, Giulia Settimi, Federico Silvestri, Christoph Teuschl
Text: Gerlinde Jüttner
Partners
Statics, building services, electrics: Ingerop Conseil et Ingenierie
Building physics: Le Sommer Environnement, Paris
Landscape: Uni Vert Durable, Piton Saint-Leu, Réunion
Acoustics: Aida Acoustique, Paris
OPC: Oteis Mayotte, Mamoudzou
BIM Manager: Atelier Juno
Costs: Alize Conseil
Clay, wood, bamboo, basalt
Building a school in Mayotte means dealing with many issues on several levels in a completely different way than here in Europe - in an educational, but also in a socio-economic and ecological sense. This is why we decided to combine the expertise of Austrian and French architects and our local partners in Mayotte for the new construction of the Lycée Tani Malandi.
The large-scale project with space for over 2,000 pupils includes classrooms, sports facilities, a school restaurant with kitchen and a boarding school. The fluid combination of these functions creates an inspiring space for working, eating, sleeping and relaxing. Local materials such as bamboo, wood, clay and basalt integrate the school into the culture and nature of the island.
The individual functions of the school are divided into several buildings of different sizes, which are arranged almost parallel to each other and staggered in height on the flat hill.
The "educational village"
At the bottom of the main road is the largest and tallest building with the main entrance, vocational school, administration and multi-purpose hall. Set back from the site boundary, the large block shields the school from traffic on the busy national road and creates space for car parking.
Behind it is a small building with a library and leisure facilities. The classrooms are located in three elongated, slightly angled buildings. The boarding school and a small staff house follow last, benefiting from the quiet location on the edge of the forest. On the east side, slightly set back from the ensemble, the compact gymnasium forms a further buffer against the traffic junction.
Communicative access
A long north-south gallery connects all units from the entrance to the boarding school and facilitates movement. It forms the backbone along which the individual elements are lined up - a functional access route, but also a place for social exchange and socialising. Walkways, courtyards, wooden terraces, steps and ramps create flowing, covered and shaded outdoor areas where pupils can move around and spend time unhindered.
Traditional construction
Clay, wood, bamboo, basalt - these ubiquitous natural materials emphasise the close relationship between the school and its surroundings, between nature and architecture. Bamboo façades are reminiscent of the woven fences of Mahoran houses. Overhanging roofs and long pergolas in front of the classrooms are inspired by the verandas of traditional homes.
The lime plaster on the gable of the gymnasium and the school refers to the name of the high school: "Tani Malandi" is the name of the white clay from the surrounding caves that is used for make-up at weddings or ritual ceremonies.
The small Comorian island of Mayotte, north of Madagascar, belongs to France and is also part of the EU. Of the approximately 180,000 inhabitants, more than half are under the age of 20. Against the backdrop of strong population growth and the resulting increase in pupil numbers, the outdated provisional multi-purpose secondary school had to be replaced by new buildings.
The architecture meets the requirements and objectives of a state school, but also takes into account the specific needs of the young Mahorans. The teenagers and young adults need a framework that promotes their education and vocational training, but is also connected to their cultural tradition and familiar surroundings.
Building with bamboo
Whereas oak, beech or maple need around 100 years before they can be felled, with bamboo this is the case after just three to five years. In contrast to wood, bamboo fibres are consistently arranged vertically. This results in enormous elasticity, stability and resilience. Traditionally, the canes were connected to each other with ropes or straps, but more modern connection systems are also used nowadays.
