St. Brigid's School, The Coombe

This 400 pupil primary school for an inner city site takes the form of an asymmetrical three and four storey brick city castle behind a new perimeter wall. The historic perimeter site walls are retained and carefully preserved as a reminder of the historic character of the liberties area.

A transparent ground floor with a large assembly room runs through the building and connects the perimeter urban courtyards used as play spaces for different age groups. The building volume is generated from a simple stacking of classrooms with a central narrow light shaft that penetrates the deep plan to provide daylight and views.

The building plan with an emphasis of long rectangular footprints is a memory of the former city plan on the site. The scheme projects an architecture of ordinary public use appropriate for children and the school community. Its brick shape has an integral rationale, impervious to the noise and bustle of the street.