Mark Twain International School is breaking ground on a new €30 million flagship campus in Balotești, Ilfov, under the Romania Education Alliance umbrella. The 6-hectare site, on the shores of Lake Cociovaliștea is designed as a full educational ecosystem from early years to high school.
Planned for 1,500 students aged 1.5 to 18, the campus will combine a fully accredited national curriculum with an international pathway. Mark Twain will run a dual track, bilingual and international, across the entire pre-university cycle, offering the national curriculum (accredited by ARACIP), International Baccalaureate programmes and Cambridge English and Cambridge International certifications at primary and secondary levels.
A sustainable, lakefront campus built around an agora
The Balotești flagship is designed by architecture studio ADN BA and follows sustainable architecture principles, with a focus on environmental responsibility, efficient use of resources and student well-being.
Four main buildings, nursery–kindergarten, school–high school, sports complex and cultural centre, will total around 15,000 sqm and will be arranged around a central courtyard conceived as the campus agora for daily interaction and community life.
The sports base will be developed on two levels and is set to include a multifunctional sports hall with a full-size court, a semi-Olympic swimming pool and a fully equipped fitness and strength room.
Alongside it, the cultural centre will host a theatre and events hall suitable for conferences, performances and art exhibitions, turning the campus into a cultural destination, not just an academic one.
Learning spaces that extend into nature
Outside, the masterplan pushes hard on sport, play and outdoor learning. Open-air sports courts, playgrounds and fitness areas will cover all age groups, from the youngest children to high-school students.
Greenhouses and educational gardens are planned to support hands-on learning and direct contact with the natural environment, leveraging the lakefront setting as a learning resource rather than just a backdrop.
