Jestico + Whiles updates historic London school with modern take on Edwardian campus

Local practice Jestico + Whiles has completed the Rosalind Franklin Wing at St Paul's Girls School, using red brickwork, Portland stone and brown zinc in a contemporary take on the Grade II-listed Edwardian campus.

Located on the school's Hammersmith site, the project represents the first phase of a masterplan awarded to Jestico + Whiles in 2019, which aims to modernise the school's facilities and better connect its various buildings.

Combining a deep retrofit of the existing Rosalind Franklin Wing with a new mass-timber structure, the updated wing is an "interdisciplinary project-based learning space", connected to the neighbouring buildings via glazed links.

"The building stitches together previously inaccessible parts of the school, improving circulation and accessibility while also serving as a metaphorical bridge between past education practices and those of the future," Howard Pye, associate director at Jestico + Whiles told Dezeen.

"The guiding principle for the design was to put creative learning on display, encouraging visibility and collaboration across departments," Pye added.

The Rosalind Franklin Wing is organised around a double-height, skylit gathering space at its centre, which features timber amphitheatre-style seating for meetings, events and celebrations.

Overlooking this central space to the north is the Immersive Studio, which is able to function flexibly as either a glazed exhibition area or as an acoustically-isolated black box.

To the south, a glazed link connects to the 1994 Mercer's Building, which has also been renovated as part of the scheme to house an IT studio, maker space and fabrication area.

Referencing the arts and crafts stylings of the surrounding Edwardian campus, the new wing is finished externally with a base of Portland stone and an upper storey of red brickwork.

This is topped by a contrastingly modern standing seam roof in brown zinc, from which protrude a row of ventilation chimneys.

Inside, an approach Pye describes as guided by "transparency and durability" led to areas of exposed brickwork and timber roof beams alongside large glass walls, as well as exposed services that facilitate a flexible range of uses.

"Externally, the design draws inspiration from the form, rhythm and materiality of the existing heritage buildings," Pye told Dezeen.

"Rather than replicating the old, it uses similar materials such as red brick and Portland stone in a modern way that complements the historic setting."

"Choices like the exposed systems and structural elements introduce students to sustainable design principles and demonstrate the building's commitment to environmental responsibility," he added.

Other school renovations in London featured on Dezeen include the the Central Foundation Boy's School by Hawkins\Brown, which included the transformation of a historic chapel into arts-focused teaching spaces.

In Oxford, London studio David Kohn Architects completed a student accommodation and office tower for the Gradel Quadrangles expansion of the University of Oxford's New College.

The photography is by Killian O'Sullivan.

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