New Music School
Project: New Music School, Latymer Upper School
Location: Latymer Upper School, 237 King Street, London W6
Architect: van Heyningen & Haward
Bricks: Ibstock - Berkshire Orange Stock
The site was spilt in the 1960’s by the construction of the Great West Road, and the Senior and Perp Schools are now linked by a underpass beneath that road. The site is extremely constrained, with little open space, all of which is hard-surfaced playground.
Van Heyningen and Haward’s involvement with the School began in 1969 when the practice won a limited competition to design a new Arts Centre (also a brick building), which was completed in 1999. Since then the practice has realised the refurbishment of the Dining Hall, a major scheme of landscape at King Street (in conjunction with Churchman Landscape), and a new sports pavilion at Wood Lane in Acton.
The new Music and Drama/Dance building is contained in a new 4-stirey building occupying the site of the former music room and library building, located between the recently completed Latymer Arts Centre, and the main building. The new building takes full advantage of this location at the southern end of the newly created central square with a fully glazed foyer that addresses this space. The co-location of the new building close to the existing Arts Centre allows it to be linked to the new building by means of glazes links at an upper floor level.
Access for those with disabilities was integral to the design, and the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Acts were met
The ground floor of the new building houses a 100 seat double-height music recital room which has excellent acoustics. Acoustic design ensures that the room acoustic itself is correct and the noise breakout and break-in are eliminated. The recital room has a flat floor, providing flexibility for other uses, although it is first and foremost a music venue.
Brick was chosen for the envelope of the new building as a good quality low maintenance material. The elevation to the north, facing the school square is highly glazed to provide a dramatic statement in this important location. Generally the structural design is kept simple and economical, using insitu concrete columns and flat slabs, with deeper beams as required to span the larger spaces.
Van Heyningen and Haward strive to design buildings that make the minimum impact on resources and the environment. The design of the new building was developed to make the maximum use of low energy technology, materials that have a low environment impact, and passive design techniques to achieve this. The two major spaces, the recital room and the drama studio have forced air ventilation, fed from a rooftop plant room, The remainder of the spaces are naturally ventilated by means of opening windows, or by local conditioning if this is thought necessary, In all situations, the need for acoustic separation, clean fresh air and the need to constrain long term running costs have been balanced before a solution is arrived at.
This project was awarded the Supreme Award at the 2008 Brick Awards as well as Best Commercial Building. The Judges were impressed by the way this building not only answers the Client’s brief but also makes a positive contribution to its context by forming the central square. The brickwork is skilfully designed and laid both externally and internally. In the words of one judge ‘It is an architectural gem’.