View from the playground.
The atrium space links the new and existing school buildings.
View of the entrance from Stonhouse Street.
A colourful extension inserted into a tight urban context offered the school a new identity, much-needed learning spaces and an organisational hub while maximising play space.
The school had become a victim of its own success as pupil numbers had doubled. Part of this success was due to all facilities being under one roof. dRMM developed a masterplan for the school with a new building to plug into the existing Victorian board school.
The extension sits parallel with the neighbouring Grade 2 listed Oddfellows Hall. The space between the new and the old school buildings establishes a formal entrance with a triple height transparent atrium.
The building appears scaleless and is contextualised through colour rather than composition. The pixelated coloured facade attempts to reconcile four new storeys within the height of three Victorian ones, which are connected by a new glazed lift and scissor stairs.
The facade is a polychromatic loop of colour that shifts as it moves around the building. The contextual colours of reds and yellow bricks and the soft landscaping inform the colour palette.
In addition to new classrooms with breakout spaces, pupils benefit from a shared performance space and history study area. Staff enjoy a resource room, administration suite and offices. The informal, social spaces that connect the classrooms are vibrant and stimulating, eliminating corridors and offering visual transparency.
The facade reconciles the interior with the exterior – the coloured glass panels of the exterior are upholstered on the inside, allowing opportunities for the display and presentation of pupils’ work. The dynamic quality of the triple aspect classrooms is further heightened by the window composition. Solid, fritted and clear panels are used at varying heights create framed views of the urban landscape for children of all ages.