Description

BRIGHTON

TQ3204NW ST LUKE'S TERRACE
577-1/35/1126 (South West side)
04/01/95 St Luke's School

II

Board school. 1900-1903. Designed by Thomas Simpson. Red and
brown brick in stretcher bond combined in contrasting bands
and patterns, sometimes alternating with stone courses; stone
and rubbed brick dressings and ornament. Roofs of tile; bell
towers of lead and timber. The school has a roughly T-shaped
plan, articulated further as a series of tall blocks. Most of
these have 2 storeys; the elevation becomes 3 storeys to the
fall of the hillside to the south-west. The architect has
combined a variety of materials and ornamental devices in a
manner generally referred to as Arts and Crafts Free style.
The following description will detail only some of the most
prominent and noteworthy features.
EXTERIOR: in the leg of the "T", dominating the entrance
elevation is a tall, 2-storey block with an assembly hall for
the infants' school on the ground floor and a larger one for
the upper school above. The end wall of this block has a
flat-arched window to the ground floor and a keyed,
round-arched window above; the window range is framed by
shallow brick piers, forming, effectively, a 2 storey aedicule
topped by a segmental pediment filled with floral ornament and
the Borough crest on a cartouche. The 3-window range returns
have full-height brick pilasters; there are segmental-arched,
ground-floor windows and flat-arched above. There is a
continuous stone entablature with high brick parapet running
around this block. The roof is hipped. In the angles formed
between this block and the main lateral block is one
flat-arched entrance each; these are framed by a stone
aedicule consisting of a shouldered architrave, shallow porch
and segmental overlight. In the lintel above each are metal
letters in a stylized early C20 script derived from late
antique inscriptions.
Each entrance is set in the base of a full-height stair tower
of 3 stages: in the second stage a round-arched and keyed
window; to the top stage an elliptical keyed window with
spandrels ornamented with cut and rubbed brick in the form of
floral swags. The top of each stair tower projects above the
main roof and has corner piers; each stair-tower face
terminates in a gablet. Each tower has an 8-sided,
lead-covered cupola/bell cote. Abutting the left stair tower,
there is, in addition, a 3 storey turret. The entablature of
the main block continues across the arms of the "T",
terminating abruptly at the return of the arms.
The side elevations have a more relaxed and informal
composition than the main block and stair towers. On the
ground floor of the left wing are floor-to-ceiling windows,
with coupled lights above each. To the right this window
arrangement is reversed. There are corner stacks set in the
hipped main roof. Attached to the right arm is a 3-and-a-half
storey gabled wing with segmental- and flat-arched windows. At
the foot of this is a single-storey class room building.
The rear elevation has a 12-window range, the windows grouped
into 3s, the centre broader than the sides. Each tripartite
arrangement articulated as a gabled bay. Each gable has a
small double light. In its lower reaches this elevation is
faced with stucco scored to imitate ashlaring; the heads of
the top-floor windows and gables above are of brick. To the
right of this group of 4 gables is 3-storey tower block, set
back from the wall of the rear elevation, yet finished in a
gable whose scale and shape matches the others in this
elevation.
INTERIOR: the lower parts of the walls are faced with
greenish-blue glazed tile. The upper school assembly hall has
a open timber roof of 4 bays supported by arched collar beams;
its upper reaches are now ceiled. Opposite the end wall is a
gallery; painted on the end wall itself is a mural, probably
dating to after 1918, which depicts large-scale figures
representing local and historical types.

Listing NGR: TQ3240304736

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26661050

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

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  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
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