ABSTRACT
The building is integral to the site and steps down in a series of wings, each complementing and adding to the dexterity of the whole. The entrance point is at the upper highest part of the site; the ground plain running off the street appears to touch the roof of the new building and the visitor passes down a flight of stairs into the first of a series of courtyards or foyers. The entrance threshold appears secure yet inviting. The first wing of accommodation houses offices, administration and the headteacher’s office guarding circulation routes beyond before the route drops down into the first of three primary levels. These contain classrooms and are orientated towards the west, each with its own roof deck/terrace, a natural benefit of the complex stepped section and siting. On reaching the lowest level there is a large enclosed playground with dramatic zigzag concrete benches and play equipment which were designed by the architect. In the southern corner of this play/workspace is the lowest level of dormitory accommodation. This dormitory wing provides accommodation for fifty pupils from outlying rural areas. It is arranged as a mini version of the school itself, with complementary zigzag layout, stepping back up the hillside.
The building’s complexity makes it difficult to understand in simple plan form; it is an exploding sequence of external and internal spaces which energize and socialize at the same time by inviting the public to penetrate, yet ensuring that the classroom blocks and the dormitory remain safe, secure territories. ‘Pinõs’ building is, in effect, an enormous foyer, a public meeting place which is in turn expansive and enclosed’ (‘Lyrical Geometry,’ Architectural Review, 4/6/97).
