St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School in Ascot is set to transform its campus with an ambitious Performing Arts Precinct and additional classroom facilities. The school has applied to modify its masterplan, paving the way for a state-of-the-art arts hub and expanded learning spaces.
The proposal outlines plans for the St Margaret’s Arts Precinct (SMAP), a cutting-edge complex designed to nurture students’ talents in music, drama, and various performing arts disciplines. In addition to the SMAP, the project encompasses constructing an exam room building and a secondary classroom building to address the school’s growing enrollment.
The Performing Arts Precinct will be strategically situated adjacent to Lapraik Street. At the same time, the new classrooms will find their home at the end of Petrie Street, seamlessly integrating with the existing campus layout. Specific existing structures, including the Labyrinth, the decommissioned 50-metre and 25-metre swimming pools, the Daphne Mayo Centre, and other buildings, landscaping, and pathways, will be removed to accommodate these additions.
This redevelopment represents the next phase in the school’s master plan, with Stage 1 (the Sports Precinct) already completed. The amendment to the master plan will incorporate three new buildings, car parking provisions, landscaping enhancements, and acoustic fencing.
The SMAP building itself promises to be an architectural and functional marvel. It will feature a basement parking lot with 29 spaces and multiple levels dedicated to performing arts activities, including rehearsal rooms, a black box theatre, dressing rooms, and a recital hall. The top floor will boast classrooms, a control room, and specialised music practice spaces. Construction will be carried out in stages to minimise disruption.
The additional two-storey buildings will house general learning areas, a kitchen, an exam room, and an arrival plaza with stair and lift access. The secondary building will provide six general learning areas and stair access.
Planners at John Gaskell Planning emphasise the project’s importance in optimising resource allocation and ensuring the timely delivery of community infrastructure. They assert that the new facilities will enable the school to meet the evolving needs of its students and staff, empowering St Margaret’s to uphold its commitment to providing high-quality education and maintaining exceptional teaching standards.
Published Date 13-August-2024
