Trinity Academy, Gymnasium Block, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Trinity Academy is a secondary school in the Victoria Park and Trinity area of North Edinburgh. The building comprises the four-storey former Craighall Road High School (1891-93) by George Craig, and flat-roofed additions (1958-64) adjoining to the east by Stanley Patrick Ross-Smith. The additions consist of a four-storey glazed stair link, a six-storey classroom block and adjoining two-storey 'podium style' block, an assembly/dining hall block, and a twin gymnasium hall with single-storey corridor link. Alterations and redecoration were carried out by Baxter Clark & Paul Architects (1991).

Later additions to the school (after 1964) are excluded from the listing (see Legal Exclusions below).

The former Craighall Road School (1891-93): A broadly symmetrical, three-storey and basement, fifteen-bay building of squared and snecked brown sandstone in the Renaissance style with some Venetian detailing, finished with contrasting polished red sandstone dressings. Clasping pilasters flank the projecting outer blocks. The entrance has a round arched, hood-moulded doorway (converted to a window around 1960) and a low stone balustrade above a flat-roofed porch. A central pediment breaks the eaves line and supports a sandstone statue of Youth holding the torch of learning. Circular panels, inscribed 1892, flank the central window. There are Venetian windows to the second floor, round-arched windows to the porch, and decorative ventilation grills with foliate detailing set between the floors.

The rear elevation is four-storey and twenty-bay, advanced at the centre. It has symmetrical single windows (round-arched to fourth floor in central bay) and an oculus centred in the pedimented gable. A door to the rear is inscribed 'Girls & Infants Entrance'. There are pedimented windows flanking the central bays at the fourth floor. The ground floor doorways contain polished sandstone panels.

The building has a piended roof with a grey slate covering in diminishing courses. There are octagonal timber louvered lanterns over the two main internal staircases to the east and west.

The late 19^th century interior (seen 2021) is broadly intact in plan with fixtures and fittings retained throughout. There has been some remodelling and infilling of central spaces. A former office with a three-light canted bay window projects into the central corridor to the ground floor. It has decorative moulded timber consoles, projecting cornicing and a round-arched fanlight. The school has twin staircases in a mirrored planform arrangement, both having cast-iron banister uprights, timber handrails and stop-chamfered timber newels with ogee finials. There are some barrel-arched doorpieces with mosaic detail, and architraved doorways with fanlights. A hall on the third floor has a timber-ribbed, vaulted ceiling. White ceramic tiles with decorative foliate borders line the corridors. There is a further simple stone staircase towards the rear.

Glazed stair link (1958-61): Adjoining the 1891 school building to the east is a sloping-roofed, glazed link. It has a ground floor level with three levels of stairs above accessing the six-storey classroom block extension (1958-61). It has full-height, metal-frame glazed walls on both sides (north and south) in a repeating, stepped glazing pattern. The roof is angled, mirroring the slant of the upper staircase. Internally, the stairs retain their late 1950s design and materials including a metal handrail and a distinctive wedge-shaped cut-out platform at the third-floor level.

Classroom block and integrated podium block (1958-61): The six-storey classroom tower is rectangular in plan with a flat roof. There is a projecting staircase to the main entrance and a recessed walkway at the first-floor level. Above the first floor are four symmetrical classroom levels, supported on a row of round columns (piloti). The four classroom floors are defined by an exposed, reinforced concrete structural frame of five bays, evident as vertical pilasters, interspersed with horizontal panel insets and metal-frame windows with a distinctive repeating glazing pattern at each classroom floor. The ground floor is recessed slightly, with the upper floors overhanging a raised, inset walkway at the first-floor level.

Internally, the six-storey block has a centralised plan with corner classrooms at each floor. There is a stair on the east side of the block lit by full height glazed panels. The interior decoration is minimal, retaining fittings of mid 20^th century date, and is characteristic of school interior design of the period.

A two-storey, flat-roofed podium-style block is integrated at the first-floor level, extending to the east to create a horizontal platform base for the classroom tower block. The podium block links into the two-storey assembly hall and dining hall (1958-61) to the west. Internally, the horizontal podium block has an atrium hall with a descending central staircase and a glazed cupola light with timber grid inset.

Assembly Hall and Dining Hall (1958-61): The assembly hall is a single space of two-storey height, with a concrete structural frame of narrow ribs, tapering towards the floor and the mid-ceiling. The ribs are interspersed with shallow-vaulted ceiling panels, the shape of which is visible externally on the roof of the hall. There is a timber-panelled stage at the west end of the hall.

The dining hall, adjoining directly to the south of the assembly hall, is of brick construction or concrete with a brick skin. The canteen is on the upper level with picture windows to the principal south elevation. There is a hall area below the canteen, with sets of sliding doors into the larger assembly hall area to provide a larger communal space when required. The interior is largely functional with few surviving details of mid-20^th century character.

A single-storey, corridor link runs between the assembly hall block and the Twin Gymnasium Hall (1961-64) to the east. The twin gymnasium is a two-storey, roughly square-plan block with a mirrored plan form and exposed concrete frame. It has horizontal sections of timber cladding and geometric glazing patterns to the west and east elevations of each segregated gymnasium area at first-floor level. The interior retains its mid- 20^th century character including the central stair with metal handrails, segregated by a central wall of textured glazed panels. The well-lit gyms are reached by a staircase within the central atrium of the building. Changing rooms are on the ground floor level.

A free-standing aggregate-panelled wall with a geometric design (circa 1960) is situated in front of the six-storey classroom block. Outside the dining hall is a memorial to the pupils and staff who lost their lives while on active service during the First World War.

Historical development

Craighall Road School was built as a high school in 1891-93 at a cost of £18,850. The land was acquired by charter from the Laird of Bonnington, James Clerk-Rattray and the Craighall School Board was bound by contract to complete the building within two years. The school was officially opened in 1894. The footprint of the building is shown on the 1902 Ordnance Survey Map.

The school was renamed Trinity Academy Higher Grade School in 1909. The nearby Leith Academy (LB27877) of 1898, also by George Craig, became a higher-grade school in the same year. Plans for an additional secondary block were drawn up in 1919, and again in 1939. However, little change was made until the late 1950s when the City of Edinburgh Council commissioned new buildings for both the secondary and primary departments.

The new buildings by Stanley Patrick Ross-Smith were commissioned in 1957 and constructed over a six-year period between 1958 and 1964. The glazed link, classroom block and podium block including assembly and dining halls are all shown on the 1961 revision of the 25-inch Ordnance Survey map, whilst the detached gymnasium addition with linking corridor is shown on the 1964 revision.

The school expanded in line with its amalgamation with other local schools and with changing educational trends. In 1974 Trinity Academy merged with David Kilpatrick School to become a fully comprehensive secondary modern serving North and West Leith, Newhaven and Trinity. The swimming pool is understood to have been constructed around this time. Further blocks were built after 1970. These later additions are not considered to be of special architectural and historic interest and are excluded from the listing (see Legal Exclusions).

Legal exclusions

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: all other later additional blocks.

'All other later additional blocks' refers specifically to (from west to east) the Design and Technology Workshop (1987-93), the Swimming Pool and Music Room block (1970s), and the Science and Home Economics block (1987-93).

The Design and Technology Workshop (1987-93) is a later addition to the front of the gymnasium block. It is a plain brick-built block with architectural details typical for its date.

The Swimming Pool and Music Room block (1970s) is of standard design and construction for its date, with little exterior detail. There is no known interior detail of interest (interior not seen 2021).

Statement of Interest

Trinity Academy meets the criteria of special architectural or historic interest for the following reasons:

The 1891-93 building is a notable example of board school design in Edinburgh, demonstrating high-quality stonework and Italianate classical influenced detailing.

The 1958-64 additions are an excellent surviving example of bespoke Modernist design in a comprehensive school context in Scotland, evidencing the influence of contemporary European architecture.

While there have been some alterations to both phases, the 1891-93 school building and the 1958-64 post war additions retain their authentic design and character and continue to jointly demonstrate developments in school design in this part of Scotland.

The survival of the building's relationship to its wider setting, and its prominence within the local area contribute to its interest.

The six-storey tower with integrated podium block, rib-framed assembly hall and mirror-plan twin gymnasium are early and uncommon design elements for their date of construction.

The two main phases of construction of the listed buildings at Trinity Academy represent a 70-year period of immense social, economic and political change, showing how buildings adapt to social change through renewal and new design.

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are excluded from the listing: all other later additional blocks.

Architectural Interest

Design

The contrast between the traditional classical detail of the 1891-93 high school and the Modernist 1958-64 additions reflects two distinct periods of development in school architecture. The designs of the buildings adhere closely to architectural fashions of their respective periods in terms of plan form, design, massing and detailing.

The former Craighall Road High School at Trinity Academy demonstrates the established board-school model used extensively within large urban settlements for secondary education from around the mid-19^th century, with a large central hall, spine corridors, twin staircases, and classrooms over three or more floors. The decorative exterior stonework at the Craighall Road school is of high quality and more detailed and extensive than many other board schools of similar date – a feature that was also noted at the time on its official opening in 1894 (reprinted in Trinity Academy Centenary, 1993).

The central drill-hall model provided airy internal spaces where pupils could gather for lessons and assemblies. While interior spaces have been partly remodelled and/or divided, the 1890s school building otherwise retains its overall plan form, and a significant amount of internal decorative classical details throughout. The building was also fitted with innovations such as electric bells, voice tubes and Cowan's patent gas lamps. It is not certain whether any parts of these early fixtures survive (2021).

The 1958-64 additions at Trinity Academy reflect the influence of European architects such as Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe on the generation of architects practicing in the early post-war period in Scotland. The 1958-64 additions treble the footprint of the school buildings. The mix of concrete, metal, brick and glass illustrates Modernist design principles, adhered to closely throughout the design. There is no stylistic concession to the adjoining 1891-93 building and the resulting contrast of the additions at Trinity Academy compared with the older building reflects the intention of early post-war design to break decisively with the past. The contrasting high-quality designs of each phase, which are clearly understood individually and survive largely unaltered, now form an important multi-phase grouping at this site (see Social Historical Interest) with the second phase respecting the mass and height of the earlier block.

The Glazed Stair Link (1958-61) bridges the two phases of building. The bevelled, wing-like treatment of the internal stairs, and the relative lightness achieved by the transparency, and full-height thin metal frame glazing on both sides of the link, are typical of the architecture celebrated by the 1951 Festival of Britain. Secondary schools of this period favoured lightweight and cost-conscious materials, with the earliest post-war designs often referencing the modern architectural style associated with the Festival of Britain with eclectic use of contrasting patterns and finishes within a modular framework.

The exposed concrete frame and tight grid-like treatment of the four upper floors of the Classroom Tower (1958-61) are characteristic features of this building type. The integrated Podium is a typical Modernist device, offsetting the verticality of the tower. Overall, the massing of elements is sophisticated, with classroom levels supported on round columns (or piloti) and projecting over the main entrance, elevated walkway and integrated podium block at the ground and first floor levels. The inset panelling and geometric patterned glazing add to the design interest.

The general profile and massing of the additions has not altered significantly since their completion in 1961. The most notable alterations to the classroom tower are the loss of the projecting entrance canopy, and the loss of an open-air loggia with metal grilles at the sixth-floor level (now infilled with windows to match those below). The metal frame windows have also been replaced with units of a slightly different geometric glazing pattern, and there have been some alterations to the internal decorative scheme. These changes do not significantly lessen the integrity of the building and the Modernist principles of the design remain evident.

Assembly Hall and Dining Hall (1960-61): The streamlined ribbed concrete frame of the Assembly Hall, with lightweight tapering ends, is a distinctive example of the expressive or sculptural use of concrete in Modernist design.

The sliding doors into the lower level of the smaller dining hall area (to provide a larger and more flexible communal space when required) is another notable aspect of the design. Internal alterations include the refurbishment of the dining hall and associated loss of contemporary features. The brick skin of the dining hall contrasts with the concrete and glass of the tower and podium and reflects the eclectic use of building materials that defines many of the designs of the early post war building period.

The Twin Gymnasium Hall (1961-64) has a very unusual, mirrored plan arrangement of double gymnasium halls (girls/boys), raised over changing rooms beneath, and a central, mirrored staircase with a glazed dividing wall. The design reflects experimentation in architectural form and the break with tradition common during the early post war period and as such, adds to the special interest of the building.

The free-standing panelled wall in front of the six-storey classroom tower is an artistic flourish that indicates its post war date. The survival of the wall as an integrated part of the 1958-64 additions to the school contributes to the wider design interest.

George Craig (1851-1928) was an Edinburgh architect responsible for designing several notable buildings. He began independent practice in Leith in 1880 and became architect to the Leith School Board, designing other schools in a similar style, including Leith Academy (1888, LB27877, category B). He also served as architect to the Highland Railway Company. Other buildings by Craig in Edinburgh include the Trafalgar Masonic Hall (LB27880, category C).

Stanley Patrick Ross-Smith (1919-2010) was an Edinburgh architect who worked as assistant and then junior partner to Esmé Gordon before setting up practice with Ron Jamieson in 1958. Ross-Smith has been referred to as a fine designer with "a strong sense of fitness of purpose" (The Scotsman, 2010). His 1951 design for the Old Kirk of Edinburgh in Pennywell Road (LB45798, category C) features stylistic elements inspired by Modernist northern European church design.

The 1958-64 additions to Trinity Academy largely retain their plan form and continue to convey their intended function. The early design intention survives and remains legible in the existing fabric to an extent that continues to convey special architectural interest. While there have been some alterations to both phases, the 1891-3 school building and the 1958-64 post war additions retain their authentic design and character and jointly demonstrate developments in school design in this part of Scotland.

Setting

Trinity Academy is located to the north of Victoria Park in north Edinburgh. It is the main institutional building within a largely residential area of Georgian and Victorian villas, with the open public park grounds of Victoria Park to the south, and a former railway line to the north. Trinity Primary School – also by Stanley Patrick Ross-Smith and contemporary with the 1950s-60s extension (not listed), is located immediately to the east, adding to the group value.

Overall, the setting of Trinity Academy remains little changed, and both the 1891-93 building and the 1958-61 classroom tower block are prominent buildings within their immediate urban environment due to their substantial size, height, and exterior design. The upper floors of the classroom tower have panoramic views over Edinburgh and across the Firth of Forth to Fife.

Trinity Academy has special interest for the survival of its setting, its continued relationship as part of a school campus group with Trinity Primary School, and its prominence within the local area – contributing to our understanding of the development and expansion of suburban Edinburgh.

Historic interest

Age and rarity

With its central hall and segregated stairs, the former Craighall Road High School (1891-93) closely follows the board school type design, which responded to the teaching methods and educational structure of the period. More than one hundred schools were built for Scotland's towns and cities after the 1872 Education (Scotland) Act (see Social Historical Interest).

The 1891-93 high school building at Trinity Academy based on the template set by the Edinburgh School Board, established shortly following the 1872 Education Act, is an exceptional example of its date and building type. Leith Walk School (1875, LB43685, category B) was among the very first of the Edinburgh board schools to be built. Other examples of a similar quality include the former Strathbungo Public School (1895, LB32428, category B) and the former Greenfield Public School, Govan (1901, LB52416, category B) in Glasgow. Among the finest late examples in Edinburgh is the former Leith Academy Annexe, Albion Road (1903, LB30323, category B) by John Carfrae. The former Craighall Road High School at Trinity Academy is not rare within its building type and period of construction but is among the most exceptionally well-detailed surviving examples.

In the later 20^th century, less than 15 of the several hundred schools constructed or extended in Scotland between 1945 and 1975 are currently recognised through listing specifically for their Modernist architectural design (2022) and largely unaltered examples are increasingly rare.

Many secondary schools designed in the 1950s have been demolished, such as the concrete framed Auchmuty Secondary School, Glenrothes (1954-7) by the Glenrothes New Town Development Corporation, or have been substantially remodelled, such as the 1964 strip-glazed, flat-roofed block additions to Annan Academy in Dumfriesshire.

Various systems of school-building using standardised prefabricated elements became commonplace during the 1950s to meet growing demand for schools following the sharp rise in birth rates after 1945 and to replace schools destroyed during the war. These system-led designs commonly using glazed steel frames which could be built economically up to a maximum of four storeys, including the highly prolific CLASP (Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme) system. Far fewer secondary schools were entirely bespoke designs, tailored specifically to their sites, such as the 1958-64 additions to Trinity Academy.

The 1958-64 additions at Trinity Academy are an early and relatively rare example of a largely intact and high-quality Modernist addition to an existing secondary school. Although forming an extension, the design is as ambitious as its partner's and is a large example for its date and style. The classroom tower is one of only a small number of secondary school classroom towers designed during the 1950s in Scotland and one of even fewer to reach six floors in height, with multi-storey designs more commonly used for college or university buildings of the period. The glazed stair link is an early example of this type of bridging link between two stylistically different buildings. The glazed walls with their thin metal frames are typical of their period but are now an uncommon survival. The ribbed concrete frame of the assembly hall and the mirrored arrangement of the gymnasium halls are also early and distinctive elements of the 1958-64 additions and add to the special interest. There are few comparably intact examples of secondary schools of this period, or comparable in Edinburgh, and very few in the country generally.

County architect's departments in Scotland were directly influenced by Alison and Peter Smithson's Smithdon School in Hunstanton, Norfolk (1950-54, Grade II*) which was early to combine a modern welded steel frame with a rigidly functional plan form and expressive use of materials. The design of the school encouraged others to break with the inter-war designs, as represented by the contrasting additions to Trinity Academy between 1958 and 1964.

A direct comparison to the extensions to the Trinity Academy's second phase, stylistically and for its date, is the Rothesay Academy, Bute (1955-59, LB44767, Category B) by Harvey and Scott. This school, which is a stand-alone building and therefore slightly bigger, also has an exposed concrete frame supported on circular columns to the principal elevation and offset by the podium-style horizontal massing of the adjoining dining and assembly halls.

Within this context, the 1958-63 additions at Trinity Academy are rare in Scotland as an early and largely intact, high-quality Modernist addition to an existing secondary school.

Social historical interest

Social historical interest is the way a building contributes to our understanding of how people lived in the past, and how our social and economic history is shown in a building and/or in its setting. All school buildings will likely have a level of social historical interest and cultural significance.

The two main phases of construction of the listed buildings at Trinity Academy represent a 70-year period of social, economic and political change, showing how buildings adapt to social change through renewal and new design.

The 1872 Education (Scotland) Act made education free and compulsory for children between the ages of 5 and 13. By 1878, many new board schools for primary and secondary education had been built, mostly in and around Scotland's largest towns and cities. Edinburgh's various school boards had an ambitious programme of school building. By 1890, shortly before the construction of the Craighall Road School, fees for secondary education were partly abolished, ushering in a state-funded system of free education and common examinations. The 1891-93 Craighall Road School, including the segregated stairs and entrances for boys and girls, reflects the educational reform Acts of the later 19^th century and the concept of education for all.

The post-war years in Britain were a period of transformation in social welfare and provision which prioritised the establishment of high-quality, state-funded schools and universities. Schools were often designed by local authorities that either commissioned private architectural practices (such as the 1958-64 additions to Trinity Academy) or by their own newly established County Architect departments. These tended to follow progressive Modernist designs to reflect the new educational curricula and teaching methods.

Trinity Academy has social historical interest for both main phases of its construction. The 1891-93 building illustrates later 19^th century educational reform, while the 1958-64 additions encapsulate progressive ideologies and debates of the post war period, and the aspirations of a modern comprehensive. The contrast between the two represents a 70-year period of immense social, economic and political change, showing how buildings adapted to social change through renewal and new design.

Association with people or events of national importance

There is no association with a person or event of national importance.

Statutory address and listed building record revised in 2022. Previously listed as 'Trinity Academy, 1 Craighall Avenue'

External Links

Historic Environment Scotland Listing

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