The Evelyn Grace Academy in Brixton, south London, has won the
prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize.
Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and project
managed by Capita Symonds on behalf of client ARK Schools, the
Academy presents itself as an open, transparent and welcoming
addition to the community’s local urban regeneration process.
Designed for 1200 pupils, the Evelyn Grace
Academy maintains the educational principle of smaller
‘schools-within-schools’; with Evelyn and Grace Middle Schools each
housing 270 pupils and Evelyn and Grace Upper Schools housing 330
pupils per school. Each of these four smaller schools are contained
within highly functional spaces that give a distinct identity both
internally and externally.
These spaces present generous environments
with maximum levels of natural light, ventilation and understated
but durable textures. The collective spaces – shared by all schools
– are planned to encourage social communication within each school
and eliminate problematic zones that require supervision.