The “Baupiloten” give the feeling of “heimat” to the neighbourhood    The Erika Mann Elementary School is a “needy” school, charged with problems (80% of children without German as a first language, 66% of parents on very low income) situated in Berlin-Wedding. The transformation targeted a lasting improvement that has led to better social skills and self confidence in the children, parents and inhabitants of the district. For the Erika Mann School, this successful synthesis of architecture and pedagogy is the prelude to a future-orientated remodelling of a full-day school into a children’s day centre. The project successfully produced extremely communicative corridor arrangements that create, open and reveal spaces. Thanks to the transformation, the old school building is now suited to today’s pedagogical requirements involving differentiated teaching in small work-groups, and it corresponds perfectly to the learning culture of the 21st century.