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Summary

Description

Fife County Council Architects, plans dated 1963-4, opened 1967; Ian Stewart project architect, (R S Lawrie county architect). Impressive largely unaltered school with rectangular-plan glazed Dining Room and Assembly Hall Block with complex eye-catching multi pagoda style roofline. Linked by glazed corridor to large V-plan flat-roofed utilitarian Classroom Block to rear. Freestanding rectangular-plan Sports Hall to West. Variety of materials including large areas of glazing with black enamel apron panels, tiles, brick, stylisted rubble, painted timber.

DINING ROOM AND ASSEMBLY HALL BLOCK: principal elevation overlooking open ground to N: large glazed panels with some inset black enamel panels to ground. Series of 6 giant semicircular piers with aquamarine glazed tiles articulate elevation. Multi-height pagoda roofline with blue painted eaves steps down to right. To left large taller double pagoda roof to 2-bay dining room with further single bay dining room with tall single pagoda roof to right. Vertical red brick and green tiled bands to taller integral Assembly Hall to S elevation with complex multi-faceted cantilevered roof with tall metal crescent finial. Near-central flat-roofed 2-storey glazed link to S containing principal entrance with narrow black enamel aprons to ground and larger black enamel aprons to 1st floor links Dining Room and Assembly Hall block to centre of Classroom Block.

INTERIOR: Near-intact scheme. Central spine corridor. Large Assembly Hall with complex roof structure mirroring external appearance with saw-tooth style fan-vaulting to stage area, gallery to W with zig-zag projections to balcony. Herringbone pattern timber parquet floor. Stage flanked by tall timber fins separating beaten metal appliqué artwork. Dining Halls with curved ceilings echoing pagoda roofs, deep timber beams, cream, orange and brown coloured glass light fittings. Some red banding to upper parts.

CLASSROOM BLOCK: large 3-storey V-plan flat-roofed glazed block with central raised water tank with cantilevered roof echoing pagoda roofscape. Brown brick to W gables. Deep dark grey random rubble base course to N elevation. Black enamel apron panels to floors giving strong horizontal emphasis. Projecting flat-roofed verandah to S elevation. Some narrow blue and red enamel panels to ground floor S elevation.

Interior: central spine corridor with classrooms leading off. Wide open plan area to centre of 1st floor. Pair of wide cantilevered staircases to either end.

SPORTS HALL: with gymnasium and swimming pool. Vertically aligned brown brick, concrete panels, white glazed tiles and black painted timber. Complex interlocking roofline with clerestory windows. Entrance elevation to E with 3 central tall bays of narrow vertically arranged windows with very deep overhanging eaves. Single storey flat-roofed entrances to outer bays with steeply overhanging eaves.

Predominantly top-hung aluminium glazing.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND RAILINGS: simple metal railings and rubble walls with low metal railings.

Statement of Special Interest

Opened in 1967 the Madras College Kilrymont Road Building is a striking design with a particularly complex pagoda-style roofline. Designed by Robert Sorley Lawrie (d.1980) as Fife County Architect the site consists of the pagoda-roofed Assembly Hall and Dining Room Block which is linked by a glazed corridor to the V-plan Classroom Block. The freestanding Sports Hall to the West also has a complex interlocking roof design. The buildings use a variety of materials including tiles, brick, painted wood, large areas of glazing with black enamel panels and some stylised rubble stonework.

The Kilrymont Road Building was constructed at a time when modernist architecture was developing in St Andrews. Andrew Melville Hall (James Stirling, 1964-8) and the North Haugh Technology Centre (William Holford & Associates, 1965-8) may have influenced Lawrie. Lawrie was born in Aberdeen and studied at Robert Gordon's College. He spent time in the 1930s in the Dublin City Architect's department and took up the post as County Architect for Fife around 1947, where he remained until his retirement in 1965. It is likely that the Kilrymont Building was one of his last designs as County Architect.

References

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