St Patrick's Primary School

These spaces include a mezzanine gallery and a central performance stage that extends outwards into the playground and is sheltered by a canopy. A crafted staircase and bookcases with built-in benches line the interior on three sides.

The extension is located in a corner plot connecting the school to the immediate townscape, as well as creating a strong relationship with the existing school building and its playground.

The bookcase is a large piece of joinery that connects the stair, the natural ventilation louvers, and supports the music store floor above. It also provides a backdrop to the stage area when an audience watches from under the external canopy.

A CNC (computer numerical control) pattern cut into the plywood canopy creates an abstract image of the existing tree to the east. The whole of the interior is constructed from birch plywood, including the bookcases and benches.

The first-floor music store hangs from plywood portal frames with stainless steel hangers, which in turn support the glazed balustrade. The gantry is held away from the sides of the building so it appears to float, and the hangers are tied back into the portal columns.