Groupe Scolaire Joséphine Baker – Fleury-Mérogis, France
A Place of Learning with Character, Identity and Meaning
At the southern edge of the Paris metropolitan area, a remarkable educational building has taken shape: the Groupe Scolaire Joséphine Baker in Fleury-Mérogis. This school complex is more than a space for learning – it is a place where children can grow, play and discover together, shaped by an architecture that combines environmental responsibility, cultural significance and educational vision in a compelling way.
The school was designed by the Paris-based office Badia Berger Architectes. The new building accommodates 17 classrooms for children from preschool through elementary level. In addition to learning spaces, it offers a canteen with its own kitchen, recreation areas, and generous interior and exterior zones. Every aspect of the design is tailored to the needs of children: open, filled with natural light, and grounded in simplicity. The use of materials such as wood, clay plaster and natural insulation creates a healthy indoor climate and reflects a thoughtful, future-oriented approach to building.
Built with a Sustainable Mindset
The building meets the highest environmental standards. Designed according to passive house principles, only environmentally friendly and locally sourced materials were used. Its supporting structure is made of prefabricated timber frames, complemented by green roofs, photovoltaic panels and natural ventilation. The result is a comfortable indoor climate without reliance on complex technology – perfectly aligned with the needs of young users.
Special attention was given to the outdoor spaces. The schoolyard is not a sealed surface, but a green oasis with trees providing shade and quiet corners for retreat. The architecture opens generously to the outdoors, allowing learning to extend beyond the classroom. Hallways were designed as social zones – not just for passage, but for interaction. The entire school is a built statement of care, respect and responsibility for space and environment.
Joséphine Baker’s Face Shapes the Façade
One of the project’s most striking elements is the large-scale concrete façade featuring a portrait of Joséphine Baker. Her face is immortalised across three monumental concrete panels, realized with RECKLI artico® neo – a technique that transforms fair-faced concrete into a medium of artistic expression through targeted surface retarding. The panels were produced by the PREGA Groupe GA in Normandy. The finely tuned texture invites light and shadow to dance across the surface, giving the façade a surprisingly emotional, almost intimate depth.
This portrait is far more than a design feature. It is a daily symbol. As a world-renowned performer, resistance fighter and civil rights activist, Joséphine Baker represents freedom, diversity and courage like few others. Naming a school after her is already a powerful gesture. Letting her face define the façade gives that gesture a visible, lasting presence. Children, parents and teachers encounter her each day as they enter the building. They meet her gaze. And perhaps, they draw a little courage from it themselves.
