ABSTRACT

School architects, more especially the Victorian breed, seem to have been assailed with nightmares of crazy Kafkaesque mazes. The standard noticeboard sullenly announces the name of the school, perhaps adding the name of the head, and the name and address of the caretaker. Many schools, in particular perhaps primary schools, are nowadays a gorgeous riot of vivid colour and invention and, in many instances, it is no more than a matter of adding this existing creative resource to the needs of public relations. Wall-murals have perhaps been the commonest venture, for many schools boast, if that’s not too optimistic a word, large bare walls. Other schools, of course, have examined the possibility of site-reclamation, delving for small gardens or ‘parkettes’ out of pieces of near-derelict school land. Given a school with its notices, directions and other devices all bearing the same pleasing logo and house-style, it makes an exhilarating counterpoint to ring the changes on the rest of the decor.