Adelaide High redevelopment

[cleverick]

OK, everyone knows it's crowded.
It's pretty ugly.
It's not, as far as I know, heritage listed (nor should it be!)

What to do?

Mark a site on the north side of Gover Ave of the same size (or smaller) as the present school occupies.
Tender for architectural proposals. Only limitations being: the school must be able to accomodate 150% of the current student population comfortably, and the footprint must be no larger than present.
Build the new school. It will be modern, attractive, conducive to learning, and generally nice to be at. An under/over pass will provide access to the present ovals, or they will be relocated to the north side and the present ovals returned to park.
Demolish the old school and return to park.

Thoughts? Ideas for the look of the new school? Preference for new ovals vs over/underpass?

[Will]

The CBD Forum is reserved for actual projects not visions.

Rick, in future could you place your vision threads in the appropriate forum: http://www.sensational-adelaide.com/for ... m.php?f=17

[Howie]

Moved thread.

[cleverick]

Sorry guys. Will be more careful in future.

[monotonehell]

OK, everyone knows it's crowded.
It's pretty ugly.
It's not, as far as I know, heritage listed (nor should it be!)

It's one of the few examples of a large scale brick built art deco building we have in Adelaide. Ugly is so subjective - I quite like it.

[SRW]

It's a bit worse-for-wear, but I do remember reading some article mentioning that is significant as being one of the few remaining representatives of a particular architectural style in Adelaide.

But, in that all-too-common Adelaide way, it is the wrong location, and I would actually support relocating it. As to where, I'm not sure, but it might be an idea to locate in the West End near Light Square, close to other educational institutions like TAFE and UniSA.

[Cruise]

Now don't string me up with the APPA members but i think Adelaide High School should have never been built on the parklands, it doesn't seem right.

[Norman]

Yeah, Adelaide High sucks balls

[monotonehell]

Now don't string me up with the APPA members but i think Adelaide High School should have never been built on the parklands, it doesn't seem right.

*commences stringing* Hey if I don't do it - someone else will

It's very true - I often think it should not be there, but that's also true of many buildings on the parklands. The ones that are already there need to be assessed along the lines of their current use, future use, community use, architectural and historic value. Adelaide High doesn't need to be there, but I doubt we could find a suitable site adjacent to a lot of green space (for the little blighters to run about and kick footballs etc.) within the square mile. And if you could, what's the bet developers would jump up and down wanting to build skyscrapers on it. It does have some architectural merit, there's only one other truly art deco structure in Adelaide that I know of (all the rest were art deco makeovers of original buildings). You can't get much more community minded than a public school.

When you add it all up I lean toward keeping and refurbishing it. Unless an alternative site can be found for a new school (HEY how about the rail yards? ). If a new school is built then the old art deco façade cold become the gateway to a new stadium built on the parklands there

[urban]

OK, everyone knows it's crowded.
It's pretty ugly.
It's not, as far as I know, heritage listed (nor should it be!)

It's one of the few examples of a large scale brick built art deco building we have in Adelaide. Ugly is so subjective - I quite like it.

The Adelaide High School is State Heritage Listed. It is not Art Deco but Pre-war Modernist. (It was designed as part of a design competition before WW2 but constructed afterwards due to material shortages associated with the War).

The Statement of Significance from the Conservation Management Plan is below:

Social value
Adelaide High School is significant for its leading role in the development and expansion of public secondary education in South Australia. This special role was acknowledged at the time the new Boys High School was commissioned.
It is rare and significant as a prominent public building procured by means of a national Architectural competition, the direct result of concerted lobbying and a Parliamentary inquiry and report. The committee was outward looking rather than parochial, inspecting schools in Melbourne and taking evidence from senior Victorian officials.
Issues of quality control and value for money were carefully considered by the Committee reflecting values of both pragmatism and optimism.
The selection by the competition assessors and acceptance by the Government of a clearly modern design from over sixty entries demonstrates a clear public commitment to the value of modernism in architecture.
The educational importance of science was highlighted in evidence to the inquiry. The role of scientific principles in the planning and environmental design of the building was highlighted in the Architect’s design report. The prominence given to the Science wing in the building is significant.
The commitment by the Old Scholars to the fitout of the Library and its dedication as a living memorial to those from the school who served in the War demonstrates the strong sense of identity that Adelaide Boys High School engendered.
Historic value
The delay in commencement due to World War II and the extended construction period at a time of post-war materials shortages demonstrates the impact of this international crisis on public infrastructure expenditure and projects.
It is significant that this delay resulted in completion of an archetypal modernist pre-war design, some 12 years later in a rapidly changing post-war era.
Adelaide High School is significant as the first major contract of the fledgling AW Baulderstone Company, which went on to become and remain an important player in the Australian construction industry.
Aesthetic values
Adelaide High School is an outstanding representative of 1930’s architectural modernism translated from northern Europe to South Australia via Sydney architects EB Fitzgerald and JR Brogan.
The design is a resolved and integrated demonstration of the guiding principles of architectural modernism. The building form clearly expresses each internal function. Circulation is a key organising and expressive principle. Structure and materials are honestly expressed. The hierarchy of uses is carefully ordered and expressed though massing and articulation. The plan, massing and elevations are carefully balanced asymmetric cubist compositions.
However underlying the heroic modernism of the design, abstracted Classical elements can be found: the cornice simplified as a parapet coping, the symmetry of the hall, the ‘order’ of the window mullions at each level, and the columns and pediments which frame doorways.
The characteristic modernist architectural language is carried through to the selection and use of materials, details and external and internal finishes. Construction techniques were essentially traditional with economical and robust materials used to great and lasting effect.
The dedication of the proposed Library as a War Memorial demonstrates the sensitive appropriation of an exceptional architectural space to fulfil both educational and spiritual needs. The lectern with an open book recording the scholars who fell was central under the dome which was in turn central to the architectural composition of the plan and building form.
The architectural integrity of the original building after some 47 years is exceptional. Outstanding modernist buildings from this era are rare and are vulnerable to loss or compromise, or damage from inherent technical faults.

[cleverick]

OK. I give up. But the school is crowded, so what is to be done?
Can you do a facade thing like they did with the East End Markets?
Can you have a second campus (or simply a new school) somewhere in the mile^2, perhaps, as suggested, opposite TAFE/Super-TAFE?
Actually I've often smiled at the irony of the old Teachers' College on Currie St (a SCHOOL) is now the Remand Centre (a GAOL). And this in a knowledge nation. Perhaps it could be returned to its original use? It's huge, and could be called the Currie St School, or Rann High.

[urban]

One option would be to split the school into two campuses, one being 8-10 and the other 11-12 with the new campus nearby within the square mile.

[fishinajar]

I remember some time ago, possibly last year...an article in the city messenger I think? The school was looking at renting a building or some space on west tce (cbd side) for more classrooms.

Sorry can't remember more details/ dates than that.

[stelaras]

lol...Hey nobody mess with my old High school!!! lol lol

heheh just jiving..

To be quite honest i quite like the buildings the way they are, it is quaint and post war modern.....Having said that, it does look a bit worse for wear and when i was there late 80's (before the gym was built) it was looking a bit tired... In all honesty it would be nice to rebuild it somewhere else.

Where would one build it though... It could go on the parklands as has been proposed by others on here, and once built the old school can be knocked over and returned to parklands. But, would AHS have enough money in its coffers to put up a modern functional school which would cater for the size it is plus future planning????? I doubt it

[cleverick]

One would hope for funding from the Education Revolution.

Short of that, education can continue to slide and Adelaide can continue to pretend to be a city which values education. I would prefer the former, but as someone whose education was privatised and who did very well out of it, it doesn't affect me. (But I'd like others to have the same advantages I did, and I'm prepared to fight for that.)