A co-educational independent day school in the south west of England has unveiled its new sixth form centre following a £2m refurbishment.
The King’s School Gloucester raised the money to transform the 13th century building through a community bond issue. Whilst work had to stop for several weeks during the Covid-19 pandemic after starting in March 2020, the building was completed at the end of December.
On top of restoring existing period features, such as beams and archways, architects Roberts Limbrick created brighter work and social spaces. Famous works of art have been given modern twists throughout the building.
Headmaster David Morton explained: “Within the building there is a collection of 14 pieces of artwork entitled ‘Think Differently’. We have taken established works of art, blended them with a prominent figure from history and given them a modern twist, to challenge the perceptions of the viewer and to encourage ambition and creativity in our students.
“We think you will agree that we have created a sixth form centre – blending history with modernity – which is truly like no other.”
Some examples include a portrait of the school’s founder, King Henry VIII, adorned with shades and a gold medallion, and a version of Boticelli’s The Birth of Venus featuring paralympian Ellie Simmonds. There are also portraits of Maya Angelou, Alan Turing and Malala Yousafzai.
Within the building there is a large common room, café and lecture theatre, as well as new classrooms and breakout rooms.
The Dulverton building itself is owned by the adjacent Gloucester Cathedral and has been leased by King’s since 1957, but it is Morton’s intention to open the building to the wider community during school holidays so that local residents can enjoy the facility.
Watch ‘Welcome to King’s School Sixth Form Centre’ on Vimeo
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