Purcell School Music Centre
The Music Centre is arranged over three floors. The ground floor contains classrooms, the recording suite and offices.
The first floor contains the Recital Room for an audience of 100 with five performers and the practice rooms that make use of the curved front of the building - utilising the irregular shaped spaces for acoustic purposes.
The second floor contains radially arranged larger instrumental teaching rooms, further office accommodation and a recording booth for the Recital Room.
The Music Centre forms the first phase of a masterplan that creates an improved facade to the school overlooking the playing fields. The design approach was to create an elegant built edge to reinforce the character of the green belt.
The ‘collegiate’ model is a long standing educational spatial form which creates a positive atmosphere for learning. Our masterplan creates the opportunity for new landscaped courts between the Music Centre wing and the existing building to provide a much improved environment and outdoor learning spaces.
Although located in the Greenbelt, after detailed pre-application consultation with planning officers, stakeholders and local interest groups, we obtained planning permission for our masterplan in 2008.
“Just to say how much the new Music Centre has enriched the teaching experience at the Purcell School. The rooms are well designed with just the right level of acoustic warmth. Some have spectacular views, but most importantly, the sound proofing is first-rate. The Centre is worth every hard-fought penny made by the fundraising campaign.”
Tom Marandola, Head of Voice, Purcell School