A new kindergarten in Puerto Rico showcases an innovative ring-shaped design that places children's safety and engagement at its center. Local architecture firm Toro Arquitectos has completed the Ciales Kindergarten, which features a circular concrete structure surrounding a central outdoor play area, creating what the studio describes as "a safe, engaging, and functional environment" for young learners.
The project involved transforming a former funeral home into educational facilities while adding the distinctive ring-shaped structure. The existing building was converted into office spaces after being stripped of decorative elements to serve as a "background building," allowing the new circular school structure to take center stage as the main architectural feature.
Located in Puerto Rico's Manatí River valley against towering limestone-karst cliffs, the facility will serve 48 children from Ciales and surrounding central Puerto Rico municipalities. The concrete ring's diameter aligns perfectly with the edge of the older building, creating a harmonious relationship between the two contrasting structures while maximizing 360-degree views of the surrounding natural landscape.
The circular design divides the building into 12 equal segments, with six classrooms all facing inward toward the central courtyard. This central space features circles of green artificial turf and colorful playground equipment, creating an engaging play environment that remains protected and private. A large roof overhang provides outdoor circulation areas that offer protection from Puerto Rico's tropical weather, including both sun and rain.
Around the building's exterior, board-formed concrete walls feature strategic doorways and large openings covered with vertical louvers. These brightly colored louvers provide shade for outdoor spaces while obscuring views from outside, ensuring privacy for the children. The design also incorporates three additional smaller outdoor play spaces around the perimeter, shared by pairs of classrooms, along with another segment dedicated to communal play activities.
Inside the facility, exposed concrete surfaces create a modern aesthetic that is softened by brightly colored flooring, tiles, and furnishings. The architects noted the symbolic significance of the project, explaining that "the irony of a funeral home's site becoming an early childhood development center was ever-present throughout the design process." They realized that their circular design had inadvertently become "a metaphor for the cycle of life."
The project represents the latest example of playful and experimental architecture designed specifically for early childhood education. Similar recent projects include a color-blocked daycare in France, an animal-themed nursery in Italy, and a facility in Australia decorated to resemble sea and sky themes. The Ciales Kindergarten stands out for its integration with the natural environment and its innovative approach to creating secure yet stimulating learning spaces for young children.
