Connecting a school’s entire community through the development of a central multi-use facility
Re-establishing a school’s heart
The Canterbury earthquakes of 2010-12 not only brought St Margaret’s to its knees, it also created the opportunity to reimagine the school’s long-term future. We carried out a robust master planning process, through which it became clear that the priority project was to return the ‘heart’ to the school – a central chapel/auditorium and gym. This flagship project needed to be completed as quickly as possible and required strong leadership to get the best out of designers, contractors and end users under extremely stressful circumstances.
A fine balance
Designing a building as a multi-use facility meant a number of often conflicting user inputs were at play. A ‘black-box’ performance auditorium contradicts a desire for a light-filled space for chapel service. We needed to manage expectations and find a balance amongst senior staff to agree the optimal design solution.
Further challenges included working in a site in the middle of the campus, surrounded by temporary facilities. The construction access crossed through school accessways, requiring constant control to keep staff and students safe and the construction contained. We navigated all hurdles to see the delivery of a hugely successful ‘heart’ for the school, that has been widely embraced and added momentum to the wider master plan.
Points of interest
- The auditorium seats up to 700 people and fulfils the school’s performance, assembly and chapel service needs. It is used 7-days-a-week and is offered for commercial hire when not in use by the school community.
- An inclusive ‘in-the-round’ auditorium design allows up to 50 performers on stage within an intimate setting, and the overall design allows for excellent acoustics across multiple use situations.
- The adjoining gymnasium enabled the sharing of toilet and change facilities, for efficient use of space and resources.