L'école idéale

Architectural and scientific curator: Atelier Senzu
Artistic curator: Anna Labouze and Keimis Henni

Research initiated as part of FAIRE Paris

Conceived and produced by the Magasins Généraux and the Pavillon de l'Arsenal, the exhibition "L’école idéale" is an invitation to reinvent primary schools – an architectural and educational model that has seen little change in over a century. By showcasing the innovative alternatives offered by architects, artists, and designers, the exhibition encourages us to rethink educational and school concepts that are deeply rooted in the collective imagination.

Designed for both adults and children, the exhibition combines the discovery of extraordinary and inspiring schools from different times and places – from Greater Paris to around the world – alongside interactive artistic installations that suggest new ways of shaping the school today.

The exhibition is a sensitive and immersive experience: a space where one can explore, from a child's point of view, what a school could be, both dreamed of and hoped for.

Classrooms that can be endlessly reconfigured, built outdoors or in the woods, entirely redesigned spaces, furniture and school games, playgrounds turned into gardens or farms: these are just some of the proposals gathered in the exhibition, paving the way for envisioning the 'ideal school'.

The exhibition is enriched by a series of events, bringing together artists, thinkers, researchers, and activists for performances, conversations, and debates. These aim to delve deeper into the ideas outlined in the artworks and to explore new ways of learning and teaching today. The exhibition is also accompanied by guided tours, creative workshops for all ages, and a comprehensive outreach and education programme.

The exhibition is extended and expanded by several meetings and events, bringing together artists, thinkers, researchers, and activists around performances, conversations, and debates to explore the avenues outlined in the works and explore new ways of creating schools today. It is also accompanied by guided tours, creative workshops for all ages, and a wide-ranging programme of cultural engagement and mediation.

Architects and artists featured in the exhibition:
Eugène Beaudouin & Marcel Lods, Behnisch & Partner, Atelier Julien Boidot, Sonia Chiambretto & Thibaut Langenais, Jan Duiker & Bernard Bijvoet, programme Pop du CAC Passerelle, CAUE 75, Compagnie architecture, Construire, Croixmariebourdon, Direction de la Voirie et des Déplacements de la Ville de Paris, Escobedo Soliz & Gutarqs, Alain Gamard,Daniel Lombard & Édouard-Marc Roux, Herman Hertzberger, Arne Jacobsen, Andrès Jaque / Office for Political innovation, Carlota Sandoval Lizarralde, Joly&Loiret, Korteknie Stuhlmacher Architecten, L’Atelier Senzu, Maison du projet de la ville de Pantin, microsillons, Andrade Morettin Arquitetos Associados & GOAA, Florent Nanquette, Richard J. Neutra, Marie Preston, Jean Prouvé, Jean Renaudie, Paul Rudolph, Hans Scharoun, smarin et Yto Barrada, Damien Surroca Architectes, Takaharu+Yui Tezuka Architects, Thomas Tudoux, Ville de Rosny-sous-Bois, Walter Spickendorff, WonKy, WORKac, Yamazaki Kentaro Design Workshop, Ayla-Suzan Yöndel & Tomi Ungere