Vocational school in Besely
Madagascar
ECOLES DU MONDE
WILMOTTE & ASSOCIÉS
2024
Construction of a vocational school in Madagascar.
The Ecoles du Monde association has been building schools in Madagascar for 25 years. In Besely, after the creation of a primary school and a junior high school, the dynamic requires the construction of a high school. Jean-Michel Wilmotte has agreed to sign this vocational school on a voluntary basis.
The project should be a positive sign for the children and their families. As a symbol of protection, the round, open roof houses eight independent volumes (seven classrooms and the headmaster’s office) at its centre. Oriented like a compass indicating the eight cardinal points, the building deliberately structures the vast space of the savannah. Eight paths run along the visual axes generated by the spaces between the classrooms, allowing the children to appropriate their land during breaks.
To the north, two water towers, like two coloured totems, mark the entrance to the school and house the sanitary facilities and showers, while an observation platform offers an unobstructed view of the sports field and the valley. Photovoltaic panels are the figurehead of this 21st century high school and enjoy excellent exposure.
Because I have always been convinced that architecture cannot be reserved for certain countries, and must know how to address all peoples, even the most underprivileged, it is with enthusiasm and determination that I responded favourably to the proposal of the directors of "Écoles du monde" to carry out voluntarily the plans for a professional high school in the bush, in Madagascar.
Jean-Michel Wilmotte
architect
