We are over the moon that our Centre for Creative Learning, designed by renowned architect BDP, has been awarded a prestigious RIBA National Award and RIBA London Award.
The CCL was conceived as an ingenious means in which to utilise the limited space available to create a fantastic library and wonderful, biodiverse rooftop garden (featuring a water feature, bug hotel, edible garden and a fundraising tree, kindly donated by our old girls!) where pupils and staff could relax and appreciate nature in central London.
RIBA have commented:
‘The architect describes the library space as ‘magical’ and invokes an image of children learning under the canopy of a great toadstool plucked from the pages of Alice in Wonderland. Every detail of the roof and its meeting with the perimeter is elegantly worked to marry the demand for daylight in a such a tight space with a strong poetic ambition. Sculptural rooflights punctuate the various reading zones within, flooding each space with daylight and connecting the library to the outside world. Elsewhere, the detailing is restrained and well executed, allowing the roof structure room for expression.’
Please read more here.
This unique building was central to our ambitious Building for the Future programme which we started in 2016 and completed in 2019, thanks to the support of our hugely generous parents and alumni. We also would like to thank all parties involved in the inception, planning and delivery of the Centre for Creative Learning, and of course RIBA for extending us this honour.
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that the CCL has also been nominated for an Architect’s Journal Award and look forward to the winners being announced on 17th November.
This has come at a very apt time as we approach the official opening of our new Sixth Form Centre, The Old School House; another state-of-the-art building which adds to our vision of creating top class wellbeing and creative facilities to enable our girls to flourish at every stage and in every aspect of their school career.
