Clague targets music at The King’s School, Canterbury

Architect, Clague, based in Canterbury, has given a new twist to a century-old building. The Edred Wright Music School for The King’s School, Canterbury has been created within the tower section of The Grange, a former boys boarding house located at the centre of the school and within the Canterbury World Heritage site and Scheduled Ancient Monument of Christchurch Priory and Archbishop’s Palace.

A key element of the success of the project is a new lightweight extension. This modern glazed structure creates an impressive new entrance and centralises the vertical circulation of the varying levels of accommodation with a new staircase and a lift, which is essential for moving heavy musical instruments. The design acts as a foil to the existing building and, because the tower section, as an extension itself, did not have its own ‘front door’, the new design refocuses the way that the facility is used and creates an entirely different creative atmosphere for the pupils.