The "Living Schools" project introduced Thursday aims to make old-fashioned school buildings more appealing to students. The Ministry of National Education turned to renowned architects who volunteered to breathe life into the schools, adding new facilities and making them more dynamic for the pupils.

As part of the project, 23 schools underwent renovation across the country with more schools set to benefit from the initiative in the future. The ministry aims to incorporate more interactive learning into the public schools and to provide a more colorful atmosphere that will capture the students' attention as in private schools. Living Schools will have canteens offering healthy foods, gardens and new "creative" spaces.

Minister Ziya Selçuk, who spoke Thursday at an Istanbul high school where the project was announced, said they were seeking to make schools "a place where students will be happy."

"They spend 12 years in those schools. That atmosphere leaves a mark on them. We want to beautify schools and the changes in light, sound and image will provide a positive atmosphere," he said.

Fifteen architects from leading architecture firms volunteered for the project. "We have a lineup that could only be possible if we held a global contest for best school design. Each architect designed a project with the anticipated joy of the children in mind as well as their own dreams," the minister said.

Each school was redesigned according to the structure of the city, town or village in which it is located. Venues for students to socialize, renewed teachers’ lounges and the addition of new, smart technologies are among the features of the redesigned schools.