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Westminster Academy
at The Naim Dangoor Centre, London
2008
ALLFORD HALL MONAGHAN MORRIS

Photo © Tim Soar
Shortlisted for Stirling Prize 2008

Photographs © Tim Soar
WESTMINSTER ACADEMY
Westminster Academy is a school that sets new standards for educational
buildings, meeting the demands of a highly innovative and radical educational
agenda and creating a place to learn, interact and aspire.

Photographs © Tim Soar
Located in a gritty urban context, dominated by the Westway, the aspiration
was to create a new civic landmark in which the pupils, staff and wider
community felt a sense of pride. The simple form of the school, responding
to the need for a fully sealed building, has a bold, expressive façade
stratified into large panels of glazing, vibrantly coloured terracotta
tiles in green and yellow and a series of illuminated screens. The rear
elevation, facing the Westway, continues this stratification with deep,
cantilevered balconies overlooking the terraced landscape and the Academy
Sport building.

Photographs © Tim Soar
The plan of the school was driven by ideas of connectivity with a 'market
place' on the ground floor physically connecting all the key communal
spaces at this level and visually connecting to the whole school via the
full height atrium with coloured sculptural roof. This dramatic space
embodies the needs of the new learning framework by operating as the lively
hub of the school with a large central staircase acting as the main school
circulation. Pupils are encouraged to plan their own working schedule
and move between the café, informal working spaces, the library,
the Green Room (lecture theatre) and the Sky Dining Room on the top floor.

Photograph © Tim Soar
Within the building, a palette of robust materials including raw concrete,
painted blockwork, timber and acoustic baffles intentionally foreground
the teaching environment and aims to encourage exhibition and display.
Developed in collaboration with Studio Myerscough, the bold branding for
the school and the spaces within, a rich colour palette and large graphic
elements relate to the vibrant reality of urban life beyond the school
walls and to an international community - both on the doorstep and beyond.

Photographs © Rob Parrish
Location: 225 Harrow Road, W2
Westminster
Academy at The Naim Dangoor Centre : Stirling Prize Shortlist 2008
Photographs: Matt Chisnall

For Westminster Academy, Westminster City Council, DCSF and Exilarch Foundation
City Academy for 1175 students
RIBA National Award for Architecture 2008
RIBA London Building of the Year 2008
RIBA Sorrell Foundation Schools Award shortlist 2008
Design Week Wayfinding and Environmental Graphics 2008
Best Incorporation of Daylight Award, Light & Architecture Design
Awards 2008
Future Vision Award 2007
BCSE Award Inspiring Design - Secondary School 2008
Shortlisted for Stirling
Prize 2008
RIBA Awards
London Architects
London Architecture listed by
building
English Buildings
World Architecture: e-architect
- a guide to key buildings across the globe
ALLFORD
HALL MONAGHAN MORRIS
London School
Comments / photos for the Westminster Academy London page welcome:
info@e-architect.co.uk
Westminster Academy building
- page : adrian welch / isabelle lomholt
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