SHHS

South Hampstead High School commission: to transform the rather neglected Burgess Room and give it a dual purpose: a quiet Library for the upper sixth girls and a dining Room for special guest events. We kept the relatively newly laid vinyl flooring and focused the budget on restoring the refectory tables and wonderful oak panelling: we reproduced 6 of the oak mouldings in order to repair damages and also create an AV sideboard and shelves to blend seamlessly with the shell of the room. In order to introduce a Frame TV but not puncture the central panel, we reversed it and used the hole from an old wall light. Having stained the tables to match the dark panelling we needed to introduce more light and block out the noise of the street outside. So we commissioned acoustically lined pale blue cotton velvet curtains, to ‘bring in’ the sky; we hung a mirror within the panel above the fireplace and upgraded the lighting to LED, to light the art and desks. Inspired by the greens of the marble fireplace we sourced sustainable, stackable seating, made from recycled, recyclable plastic. We added gravitas and comfort with a pair of tall arm chairs, and had these covered in fabric made of recycled plastic from Camira. We filled the empty hearth with a collection of plants to clean the air, and submitted a Fine Art document recommending paintings by living female artists, while also including art by the girls themselves.

The second part of the brief was to commission a lectern for the Waterlow Theatre to commemorate Helen Strange and bear the school Moto “Maer Light”. I briefed 3 wonderful craftspeople : local sculptor Viola Lanari (who works in plaster of Paris, and took inspiration from Artemis, her classical drapery and organic forms), Sandy Buchanan (furniture maker in mixed media) and wood carver Bobby Mills - who the School selected. The stability, warmth and soft edges of the old wood help the speaker to stand and address their audience with confidence.