Founded in 1904, St Paul’s Girls’ School is one of the UK’s most respected independent schools. Acting as strategic development adviser and architect for the school’s west London estate, JMP developed a masterplan to clarify the complexities of the dense, compact campus and establish a coherent framework for future growth.
Client: St Paul’s Girls’ School
Dates: 2011—2018
Architect and Landscape Architect:
John McAslan + Partners
Consultants
Alan Baxter Ltd
Atelier Ten
8Build
Deloitte
MHBC
Robert Myers Associates
Scotch Partners
General Contractor:
8 Build
New academic hub
The Garden Building forms a key element of this strategy, providing 1,390 square metres of teaching space, offices and a sixth-form centre. Constructed in pale limestone, the building is wrapped with a bronze-coloured metal veil that screens the upper level and adds depth to the fully glazed facades. Sedum-covered lower roofs and photovoltaic panels at roof level contribute to the building’s environmental performance.
Carefully scaled and detailed, the Garden Building responds sensitively to its architectural context and the height restrictions imposed by nearby residential buildings. Heavy bands of pale limestone that frame deep-set walls of glass were inspired by stone details in the school’s red brick Arts & Crafts buildings. Their proportions echoed in the rhythm of bronze-coloured mullions. Precise details and crisp junctions offer a modern answer to the craftsmanship found in the school’s Main Building.
Sports pavilion
The nearby Sports Pavilion provides modern, high-quality facilities that support the school’s academic and extracurricular activities. Designed to sit comfortably within its residential context, the building has a restrained palette of brick and timber and integrates with the boundary wall of the school’s sports grounds. Like the Garden Building, it makes a careful response to a sensitive setting, with a contemporary appearance that evokes St Pauls’ forward-looking ethos.
