atelier boter shapes circle around square in taiwanese school

atelier boter carves sunken circular room in Taiwanese school

In response to the request of a school in Pingtung, Taiwan, for a space where children can slow down and reconnect with themselves, Atelier Boter introduces À Raum, a sunken, circular room intended for stillness and introspection. Completed within a school that promotes learning through movement, the project offers a spatial pause that aims to support presence, calm, and reflection, without being a classroom or a corridor.

The design introduces a soft asymmetry, with the circular room slightly offset to form a gentle arc that naturally guides entry. A curved curtain follows this line, turning the simple act of entering into a quiet ritual. At the center, a square platform is recessed into the floor, creating a gathering place defined by presence, where children are free to sit, lie down, or gather.

images courtesy of Atelier Boter

À Raum allows for solitude by holding space

Pingtung-based Atelier Boter surrounds this central square with deep-set window alcoves, shaped as a small personal retreat. These nooks allow for solitude without full separation so that kids can be alone while still feeling connected to the group. The interplay between the circle and square, center and edge, creates a slow, thoughtful rhythm in the space.

Carbonized cork clads the walls of À Raum, providing acoustic absorption and a warm, earthy scent. Natural light and muted tones give the space its meditative mood. Nothing is loud, and nothing insists in this room that holds space, rather than filling it.

the interlocking of circle and square slows the pace

a circular footprint, gently offset, creates an arc

central space used for group activities