KINGSWOOD POST-PRIMARY SCHOOL FOR 1000 PUPILS

RIAI International Architecture Competition 2013

Circular in form, this competition entry for a single-storey fully accessible 1000-pupil post-primary school for Tallaght has no front or back, leaving it free to be explored from all directions. Compass-like in its orientation, a primary north-south axis is countered at right angles by a number of perpendicular axes that run east-west with the site’s existing contour lines to establish the circulation system for the school. A series of internal open courtyards punctuate the circular plan to provide natural light and ventilation to all spaces. The core of the school gathers a number of school uses that demand a certain focused concentration: Library, Meditation Room, Music & Drama and Lecture Theatres. A simple, frieze-like elevation animated by the outline of 1000 attending pupils animates the school.