Adult Education Centre, formerly Thanet School of Art, Margate, Kent

Summary

Art college, built in 1931 in an austere Art Deco style by Major WH Robinson, Kent County Architect.

Description

Former art school by W H Robinson. Erected in 1931.

MATERIALS: Built of brick.

PLAN: the ground and first floors of the building comprise a central exhibition space, with classrooms and studios around – two on the east side and three on the west side of the building. The north side of the exhibition space is occupied by a wide stairwell, and the south side by the front door and toilet facilities. The basement follows the same pattern, but with a back door to the north and boiler room and store to the south.

EXTERIOR: The facades of the building are of red brick with stone dressings, and have rusticated brick quoins. The building is completed in an Art Deco style. The south (principal) façade of the building comprises two full height windows either side of a projecting central bay. The central bay has two arch head-headed full height windows either side of the door, with a third arch headed window above. The door has a stone and metal sign inscribed KENT EDUCATION COMMITTEE above, and the central bay is topped with a low stone pediment. The door is approached by a set of stairs rising from the right, with a disabled access on the other side. The front railings enclose a light well for basement windows, just below pavement level. The west façade comprises three full height windows in a projecting bay. Railings (continued from the south façade) enclose a lightwell for basement windows, at pavement level. The north (rear) façade comprises two full height windows either side of a projecting central bay, itself comprising three full height windows. The windows sit above a basement at ground level, which holds a central stone doorway flanked by four windows each side. The east elevation is a blind brick wall and chimney.

The windows comprise a series of tall, thin lights, with opening lights above and below. The ground floor ceiling/first floor level joint is concealed by embossed metal panels. The pattern of fenestration is different on each façade.

INTERIOR: internally the building is largely as built. The front door opens into the central exhibition space (now reception). Originally this was a two storey open space, but a ceiling has been inserted to separate the ground floor from the first floor, with a lift shaft running through the inserted floor. The original lightwell is marked not only by the inserted floor, but also by a wooden column at each corner (repeated at first floor level). The columns are square, with deco motifs, and are repeated as pilasters on the walls of the exhibition space. The roof of the exhibition space comprises a large square skylight divided into 25 lights, each with 9 panes separated by timber glazing bars.

The interiors comprise plastered walls with dark wood joinery throughout. Doors comprise a combination of six panel (three over three) solid wood doors and half glazed (six light) over three panelled wooden doors. Ground floor doorcases have low pediments. Art Deco radiators survive in most rooms. The main office has been subdivided with an internal stud partition wall, as has Studio F2. A small office has been created in room G3, again using stud partition walls.

The staircase, opposite the front door, is an open string Imperial staircase with iron balusters to match the external railings (a series of parallelograms, each over four risers, with a pair of diagonal pieces forming a St Andrew’s cross). The newels are formed by a wrought iron frame topped with an iron lampstand, although the lamps themselves are now missing. The stairwell is lit by full length windows.

The basement has painted brick walls, with a rendered dado. Bricks are laid in Flemish bond, and have rounded chamfers on the corners. The boiler room contains a large kiln.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the building is surrounded on the south and west sides by iron railings in panels, each of which is a square St Andrew’s cross flanked by four pairs of vertical bars. The panels are joined by a continuous top rail. The rainwater goods comprise iron downpipes topped by iron hoppers decorated with small raised squares.

History

The Adult Education Centre, Margate, was designed in 1929 by the Kent County Architect, Major WH Robinson FRIBA (1876 – 1950), and built by JE Elliman and Sons Ltd, of Beckenham. The building was opened as Thanet School of Art on 8 July 1931, by Lord Northbourne. The School of Art had existed as an institution prior to this date, but without its own building. The first Principal of the newly housed school was Mr A Moody.

The School of Art was equipped with several large drawing and work rooms, studios, a printing room, a library and a large exhibition hall. Courses were offered in drawing, design, handicraft, dress design and dressmaking, etching, lithography and typography. The school also had a department of architecture, in conjunction with Canterbury College of Arts. The artist Walter Sickert lectured at the Thanet School of Art in 1934. The Canterbury branch of the Royal Institute of British Architects was based in the building.

The School may have closed during the Second World War, as it ceased to advertise courses. It reopened on 11 January 1945, offering additional courses in “Make Do and Mend”, fabric printing and weaving. Courses were offered free to members of the armed forces.

The School of Art was closed in 1974 and the building became an Adult Education Centre, run by Kent County Council. Since 1974, a number of minor alterations have occurred in the building, including the insertion of a floor over the entrance hall/central exhibition space, the installation of a lift and the replacement of the front steps with a set parallel to the building, matched by a disabled access. A reception desk has been installed in the entrance hall, with a doorway cut through to the offices. Several internal stud partitions have been installed in several rooms.

Reasons for Listing

The Adult Education Centre, Margate, which stands in Hawley Square, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* as a competent and well executed art college in an austere Art Deco style by a noted local architect;
* for the unity of design both inside and outside the building;
* for the survival of internal fixtures and fittings, and legibility of the original design;
* for the survival of specialist functions, including studios, kiln and workshops.

Group value:

* for its relationship with the other listed buildings around Hawley Square.

External Links

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