The quote “At every point it is understanding that opens up a world” by Wilhelm Dilthey is written with sandblasted dots on a 28-meter-long glass wall situated between the entrance area and the gym of the elementary school in Satteins, Austria. The sentence is placed round the corner as well as mirror-inverted, so that it can be read from all different points of view.
Every year, colored, translucent, self-adhesive dots with the names and the starting years of the new pupils are placed on the sandblasted dots. Thereby the kids identify themselves with the design — they become a part of the school right from the start and “their” dots form an ever-changing, growing and colorful image of the school history over the years.

The project, designed in cooperation with Verena Petrasch, won a Silver Trophy at the Joseph Binder Award 2010, is a winner of the TDC 57 Award 2011 (Type Directors Club, New York, USA) and has been nominated for the German Designprize 2012. The architecture of the school was created by HEIN-TROY architects & Thurnher ZT.

Concept and design: Angelika Mathis, Verena Petrasch

Architecture: Arge HEIN-TROY & Thurnher ZT

Photography: Angelika Mathis, Verena Petrasch, Robert Fessler

Year of origin: 2009/2010

Production: Siebdruck auf Glas und bedruckte Klebefolie

Awards: Joseph Binder Award 2010 (A): Silver Trophy | TDC 57 Award 2011 (USA) | Nomination for the German Design Award 2012 (D)