Alison and Peter Smithson school to be refurbished "before it is too late"

Plans have been unveiled by London-based architecture studio Jestico + Whiles to revitalise Alison and Peter Smithson's 1950s Smithdon High School in Norfolk, UK.

Completed by the duo in 1954, the Grade II*-listed secondary school, previously named Hunstanton School, comprises two glass and steel structures that both are in need of updating.

According to Jestico + Whiles, the refurbishment will see a series of issues resolved with the building's fabric to ensure the school can be "used fully as the Smithson's had originally intended".

Updates to the structure will include new facade glazing, the expansions of classroom spaces and removal of "unsympathetic additions" for improved accessibility.

"This unique project aims to save this highly significant building before it is too late," director at Jestico + Whiles Ben Marston said.

"By addressing these functional challenges, the whole building will be able to be fully used once more," the studio said.

"This in turn means that a series of unsympathetic additions can be cleared, restoring the building's original arrangement and architectural integrity," it added.

The redevelopment is being funded by the Department for Education School Rebuilding Programme, with the redesigns lead by Jestico + Whiles in collaboration with contractor Bowmer + Kirkland, conservation architects Purcell, planning consultants DPP and engineering firm Arup.

Construction on the site is set to begin 2026, with the school expected to reopen in 2028. Temporary classroom blocks will be built on site during the construction.

The school's two-storey blocks are formed of a rectilinear concrete and steel framework infilled with brick. Materials and services were left exposed across the exterior and interior in line with the Smithson's concept of New Brutalism.

Notable features of the school include a free-standing water tower, listed gymnasium and double-height hall, which will see its infill offices removed to renew a connection with the internal courtyards.

"Conservation gains include improving transparency at ground floor and bringing the central hall closer to its original character," the studio said.

To address an issue of overheating, which had led to a number of fixed glass panes to break across the facade, the school's existing windows will be replaced with high-performance glazing.

Other improvements by Jestico + Whiles will include the reopening of roof lights that had previously been concealed, along with the repositioning the main entrance and rearrangement of internal partitions to create larger classrooms.

Additionally, a series of initiatives to improve the building's environmental performance will include insulating the building, installing a new all-electric heating system and building a 2,750 square metre photovoltaic array.

Recent projects by Jestico + Whiles include the updating of a historic London school with a contemporary take on its Grade II-listed Edwardian campus.

Other projects by Alison and Peter Smithson include the brutalist Robin Hood Gardens, which was demolished in 2017 with a fragment now in the V&A East Storehouse, and the Economist Plaza, which was renovated by London-based DSDHA.

The images are courtesy of Jestico + Whiles.

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