Plans for a 14-storey high school in Sydney have been revealed. The new ‘high-rise’ school will cater for 1,200 students.

Designed by Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp (FJMT) Studio, the new Surry Hills school is set to rise on the site of the existing Cleveland Street Intensive English High School.

As one of five high-rise government schools currently planned for greater Sydney (which includes a 14-storey high-rise school for Parramatta by Grimshaw and BVN), the school will address the space restrictions in our CBDs caused by a growing population and increased rates of urbanisation.

While a high-rise school will allow for an increase in enrolment capacities, it has been assured that class sizes won’t grow.

The design, which incorporates the existing buildings on site, consists of 47 traditional classrooms with a mixture of open and informal learning areas, practical activities areas, and presentation and seminar spaces. Facilities will include science labs, a food technology unit, a visual arts unit, and a design and technology workshop. Plans additionally reveal a gymnasium, an outdoor game court, and a central resource library.

High-rise schools aren’t restricted to NSW. For instance, Hayball have been busy designing four new inner-city high-rise schools for Melbourne. In August last year, Cox Architecture revealed designs for a “vertical school” in Adelaide.

The Surry Hills school is expected to open in 2020. Cleveland Street Intensive English High School will move to a purpose-built school site in Alexandria next year.

Nicholas Rider

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