Real Estate

15 of the most beautiful schools around the world

Chris Weller

2016-10-03T16:00:00Z

orestad gymnasium

Learning is meant to be a stimulating, invigorating, and engaging experience.

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So shouldn't school buildings be equally awe-inspiring?

Beautiful schools can be found all around the world — from Australia to Alabama, Denmark to Cambodia. Some are designed to resist natural disasters, while others provide first-rate education to the underprivileged.

Here are some of our favorites.

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OA Kindergarten, located in Saitama, Japan, is nearly earthquake-proof. It's made almost entirely of shipping containers to make the school as stable as possible.

OA Kindergarten

But you wouldn't know that from the inside, where pale wood and light-filled spaces give kids plenty of room to play around.

OA Kindergarten

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Melbourne's School of Design at The University of Melbourne features an incredible tree-like structure in the main atrium of the building.

Melbourne School of Design, The University of Melbourne by John Wardle Architects_1

The interior almost has an outback feel to it, with natural colors and cargo nets.

Melbourne School of Design, The University of Melbourne by John Wardle Architects_2

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During the day, the TAC SEV New Campus in Tarsus, Turkey might look like an office park ...

TAC SEV New Campus by Erginoglu & Calislar Mimarlik 05

... but once the sun sets, the campus emits a warm orange glow.

TAC SEV New Campus by Erginoglu & Calislar Mimarlik 01

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In Niddrie, Australia, the Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School features a jester-like color scheme. Sloping walls give the building a playful feel.

Penleigh and Essendon Grammar Middle Girls School by McBride Charles Ryan 03

The fluid lines and vibrant colors create a rich visual experience.

Penleigh and Essendon Grammar Middle Girls School

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The all-female student body certainly seems to enjoy it.

Penleigh and Essendon Grammar Middle Girls School by McBride Charles Ryan 05

The Kollaskolan school in Kungsbacka, Sweden was built in 2014 by Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture. On the outside it's rather plain, but inside ...

Kollaskolan by Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture AB 01

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... light dances around the walls and pastel yellows and blues offer a burst of color.

Kollaskolan by Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture AB 02

Bangkok's Ivy Bound International School looks more like a mansion than a place where groups of children learn about Thai culture.

Ivy Bound International School by eco.id architects 02

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Colors pop at the Sra Pou Vocational School in Cambodia. Villagers can visit the brick building to learn arithmetic or how to start a small business.

Sra Pou

Tezuka Architects, the designers of Fuji Kindergarten in Tachikawa, Japan, wanted to give kids the freedom to explore without limits. Students can run around on the roof and climb trees to their hearts' content.

fuji kindergarten

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The space also weaves nature into its design. Classrooms contain real trees that extend through the boardwalk above.

fuji6

Singapore's Nanyang Technological University is a master class in green architecture, from its rooftop gardens ...

Nanyang Technological University by Heatherwick Studio_1

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... to its tiered interiors.

nanyang technological university

Shunde Primary School, located in Guangdong Province, China, was built by K2LD Architects.

Shunde Primary School by K2LD Architects Pte Ltd 02

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Its crisscrossing sky-walks throw cooling shadows onto the campus below.

Shunde Primary School by K2LD Architects Pte Ltd 01

Now watch: There's a school in China with only one student

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Blended learning — a form of education that relies almost solely on computers and tablets — is at the heart of Copenhagen's Ørestad Gymnasium. Kids study together in large groups for most of the day, away from traditional teacher-guided instruction.

orestad gymnasium

Tokyo's Waseda University Senior High School features an industrial, Kubrick-esque campus that is nearly all gray.

Waseda University Senior HIgh School Aruditorium by Nikken Sekkei Ltd 01

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The motif even penetrates the auditorium, which has paneled gray walls and black and white seats.

Waseda University Senior HIgh School Aruditorium by Nikken Sekkei Ltd 02

Nearby is the Toho Gakuen School of Music, also located in Tokyo, which won the 2015 World Architecture Festival award for Higher Education & Research.

Toho Gakuen School of Music by Nikken Sekkei Ltd_1

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Serving all ages, from middle school to advanced master's candidates, the music school uses glass walls and long lines to create a feeling of depth.

Toho Gakuen School of Music by Nikken Sekkei Ltd_3

Then there's the Russian Ballet School. Like many other schools, the exterior is humbly designed ...

Ballet School in St Petersburg by Studio 44 Architects 02

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... but once you step inside, the wooden and glass designs are instantly striking. The World Architecture Festival crowned the stunning ballet academy the best designed school of 2015.

Ballet School in St Petersburg by Studio 44 Architects 03

In Birmingham, Alabama, the Indian Springs school allows kids to study both inside and outside. In 2016, the American Institute of Architects awarded it an Education Facilities Design Award, in part for its plant-lined elevated walkways.

Indian Springs School

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The 350-acre boarding and day school blends in with nature to create a calming learning environment with plenty of light.

Indian Springs School

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