Individual support and therapy are essential elements of juvenile detention. The idea was to create a safe haven where the young prisoners and staff could escape from the rather harsh environment – a place of rest and reflection. The result is a multifunctional space that can be divided into different zones for different uses. The ceiling is made of more than 500 cubes that dampen the noise in the room, resulting in a calming atmosphere. Different elements were integrated to allow for Snoezelen therapy, or a controlled multisensory environment, as an experimental approach to therapy in juvenile detention centers. Most of the elements were constructed by the detainees themselves in the detention center’s in-house workshops.

Photography: Carlo Kohal