Description

Gillespie, Kidd and Coia, 1938, erected 1954-8, with later additions. Extensive 2-, 3- and 4-storey flat-roofed school, brown brick, with dominant grid-pattern fenestration forming majority of wall surface. Base course of contrasting brick to sections. Narrow strip pilasters articulating fenestration of predominantly flush elevations.

PRINICPAL BLOCK: 4-storey, single pile, running E-W, forming N side of entrance playground/car park, terminating to outer left with 2-storey dining hall and assembly theatre. S elevation 27-bay with grid fenestration, 2 doors in equal-sized bays to left of centre (11th and 12th from left), glazed, 2-leaf doors. Outer right abutted by 3-storey E range running N-S with corner stair tower linking wings, predominantly brick. Rear (N) elevation adjoined to right of centre by 3-storey L-plan N range, similarly detailed.

E RANGE: 3-storey with lower bays to N. 23 bays to W elevation with grid fenestration to each bay except blank wallplane of stair to outer right. E elevation 15-bay with 2 horizontal window bands to stair bay at outer left and grid pattern fenestration to remaining bays, several glazed squares with raised cills and brick aprons. Section to N comprised of 2 lower blank bays flanking 4 still lower, 2-storey bays with door to right, clerestorey windows to ground floor and arcaded balcony above.

DINING HALL BLOCK: 2-storey L-plan block, clasping 3-storey principal range. 13-bay W elevation (Knightswood Road) with 2 bays to outer left blank, adorned by school name in applied letters, 3 bays to left of centre with regular fenestration and 7 bays to right with larger glazed openings to grid pattern, blank bay to outer right. 4 bays to E elevation with larger fenestration, 2-leaf glazed doors in bay to left, blank at 1st floor above. Blank S elevation. Rooftop caphouse.

N RANGE: 3-storey, L-plan, detailed with grid pattern fenestration, infilled to W with single and 2 storey later additions (Primary School?).

Regular glazing pattern each opening with large fixed panes, pivot pane at centre and narrow strip above with hopper pane. Reconstituted stone coping to flat roof. Internal guttering system.

INTERIOR: good period interiors, including dance studios with herringbone parquet and sprung floors. Supporting beams evident for ceilings throughout. Classrooms with generous natural light, from large windows and borrowed from corridors by internal glazed screens above dado height. Fitted gymnasium. Theatre with stage and coombed coffering to ceiling. Servery to dining hall with boarded screen.

RAILINGS: simple iron railing enclosing school boundaries.

BICYCLE SHED: brick shelter to N of site with lean-to roof and iron support columns.

Statement of Interest

A foundation panel in the main entrance vestibule celebrates the opening of the school on 10th October 1958 by John Maclay, then Secretary of State for Scotland: it was the first school designed by the Gillespie, Kidd and Coia practice. The striking compenent of the design is the provision of fenestration, in keeping with contemporary views on good school design and achieved not least by the long, linear form of the principal blocks. The flush form of the windows further emphasises the impact of this, and together with the block form of the various ranges, sets Knightswood Secondary apart in terms of school design, following Scandinavian precedents. The N range is linked by a later enclosed corridor on pilotis to the later gymnasium at NE of the site. A part sunken athletics track flanks the school to E.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Knightswood Secondary School at Wikipedia
• Knightswood Secondary School official website
• Wikidata Q6422579

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

• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)