Clapham Manor School shortlisted for architecture award

4:00pm Friday 30th July 2010

By Eleanor Harding

Clapham Manor Primary School has been nominated for a prestigious award with the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba).

It is one of just two schools competing against famous museums in Oxford, Rome and Berlin in the Stirling Prize competition.

The shortlist has been described as “unique” in the award’s history, as it is the first time two schools have been shortlisted for a prize.

Riba president Ruth Reed said: "This is the first year that two schools have been shortlisted for the prize. They represent what all schools should be: light, well laid out and well-equipped environments in which all students can flourish.

"Investment in well-designed schools demonstrates to teachers and pupils how much they are valued and has measurable impact - attendance and results rise; truancy and bullying fall.

"With the programme to improve our extremely poor school estate now much reduced - it could be some time before we see such exemplar school buildings on the Stirling shortlist again."

Clapham Manor Primary School, in Belmont Road, was designed by de Rijke Marsh Morgan Architects (dRMM), based in east London.

Founded in 1995 by Alex de Rijke, Philip Marsh and Sadie Morgan, they describe themselves as “innovative, high quality and socially useful”.

The project, completed in 2009, involved adding four classrooms, a headteacher’s office and several other facilities to the Victorian building.

The extension features an attractive multi-coloured glass wall, which filters rainbow light into the school space.

A practice spokesman said: “Clapham Manor Primary School was a victim of its own success. Pupil numbers had grown, placing pressure on the successful delivery of curriculum within the restrictions of the original building.

“The new wing is conceived as a freestanding addition that plugs into the 19th century Board School, allowing the school to work as a single entity.”

Other projects shortlisted for the £20,000 award include Christ's College School in Guildford, Surrey, and Oxford's recently revamped Ashmolean Museum.

Rome's new contemporary art museum Maxxi is also up for the prestigious award, as is Neues Museum, in Berlin.

The award, in its 15th year, aims to recognise the best European building “built or designed in Britain” and the winner will be announced at Camden’s Roundhouse October 2.