Two things that pretty much everyone knows for certain: bright colours make you happy (a 2009 study at the University of Essex showed that memory, mental agility, reaction times and even physical strength improved when exposed to sunflowers, rainbows and other what-nots), and at times, school can be a bit of a drag. So, want to make kids’ learning a little more cheery? Simple. Expose them to the visual equivalent of a trip to Rio’s carnival, on acid.

Looks like the French authorities are taking the bull by the horns. LSD may not yet be compulsory, but bucket loads of retina-popping colour is certainly in order. Palatre & Leclere Architectes were brought in to transform a rundown pre-school in Paris’s 18th arrondissement, and transform it they did; swathes of rainbow colours wash through the building, from its exterior and into the classrooms, whilst playground games are seamlessly integrated into the bold public art of its façade. A daring example of what can be achieved with a little imagination and a lot of balls – here’s hoping this doesn’t remain a one off…