AHMP Girls School Addition to School Hall

Pretoria, South Africa

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AHMP Girls School Addition to School Hall

Pretoria, South Africa

Firm

Mathews and Associates Architects cc

Type

Cultural › Hall/Theater
Educational › High School

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2012

SIZE

5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft

BUDGET

$500K - 1M

Preserving and celebrating the modern architectural history of AHMP

Commissioned by the then principal Miss Steijn, the original hall was designed by Burg Lodge Burg in the modern architectural language of the day. This was a conscious decision to not mimic the architectural style of the buildings on site. With these additions, funded by Miss Steijn’s inheritance, the architects wanted to continue in this bold tradition, designing true to the contemporary architectural spirit while respecting the original building. Though the 55-year old hall is not protected by heritage legislation, an NID was submitted to the heritage agencies due to the architects’ passion of preserving the modernist legacy and the memory of this iconic institution. Using the Burra Charter, contemporary design was juxtaposed with the existing, with the old and the new clearly separate.

The program called for an extension to accommodate the matric class and a new foyer. A gallery was placed on top of the hall, saving land and retaining the 60’s façade. The architects reverted to a ‘strap-on’ concept, like Herzog and de Meuron’s Caixa Forum. Externally a steel channel is used to distinguish the old and new – during the day a shadow line is formed, while at night a strip LED light pronounces this. Inside the existing concrete beam is exposed to separate old and new. Like Scharoun’s Berlin Philharmonic Hall and the modernist philosophy the acoustics, sight lines and ventilation generated the design.

The materials of the existing building influenced the new, with similar materials used, and new shapes, like the fire escape wall, were influenced by the existing façade. Existing materials were re-used, including the parquet floors and original entrance door, where future generations will pass through just as previous ones. The new facebrick contrasts with the existing, tying the building to the rest of the school, where a similar brick was used. The existing organ was moved, refurbished in dark grey and renamed the Phantom Lady.

A new structure was added on top, with random off-white sheeting cladding. It mimics the clouds, making the addition almost disappear on a cloudy day, and the light colour aids in temperature control inside while adjustable louvers let hot air escape. The internal staircase has a window and skylight at the end, illuminating by day and expressing the function at night, with a graphic image of Miss Steijn.

Art was used extensively as architectural elements. A new garden surrounds the Bokkie by Elly Holm; Elza Dziomba’s sculpture Idealisme is visible through the new foyer with Willem Boshoff’s Kompasroos on the floor. Down the passage Ontkenning 3, by Fransi Phillips, is visible, Sanna Swart sculpted the main entrance’s door handles and outside the school’s coat of arms appears sculptural.

This project allowed for an iconic, poetic solution to a difficult problem, with the children experiencing this sensitive design intervention first hand. The building was designed to instil confidence in the future, providing a sense of achievement and celebrating the continuing influence of Afrikaans as an academic language.