Hampden Gurney School, London
April 14, 2011 Filed under: 2000s, Education by Sanna Fisher-Payne 1 comment
Placed 23rd in the Placebook vote of favourite buildings by BDP
Chairman of NLA and Wordsearch, and director of London Festival of Architecture Peter Murray,nominates Hampden Gurney School
This is a very lively and elegant piece of architecture, but more importantly it is a model establishment in a dense urban environment.
I have never understood why schools in the city so often make such poor use of their groundspace. I love the intensity of the building, particularly the roof top play area.
My granddaughter Esme goes there and loves it too!
Peter Murray is chairman of the architectural communications agency Wordsearch, and describes himself as a writer, communicator and architectural impressario. He is also chairman of New London Architecture, and director of the London Festival of Architecture.
www.wordsearch.co.uk
www.wordsearch.co.uk
Liz Walder
May 23, 2011
Built on a tight site in the middle of London, it answers the brief in a very competent and confident way.
One of the best things about this building was the way in which pupils moved physically upwards as well as metaphorically upwards as they went into the next (year’s) class in the school.