Glasgow Academy science block wins best new Scottish building award

A new science and technology block that was constructed for a private school in Glasgow has been awarded the Best Building in Scotland prize for 2016.

The Saunders Centre at Glasgow Academy was awarded the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland's Andrew Doolan prize from a shortlist of 11 projects.

Glasgow-based architects Page\Park, who designed the building, received a gold medal and cheque for £25,000.

The award is the richest architecture prize in the UK.

The award was founded in 2002 by the architect and entrepreneur Andrew Doolan who died in 2004.

'Hall of fame'

This year's prize was presented by Culture secretary Fiona Hyslop, alongside the late Mr Doolan's mother, Margaret, at a ceremony in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh on Wednesday night.

Ms Hyslop said: "Every year, through the shortlist for the Andrew Doolan Award, we see a display of the many benefits that great architecture can bring and we show the quality of Scottish design to the world.

"During the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016, we have been celebrating the best of Scotland's architecture, both old and new.

"Tonight's winner is a welcome addition to the hall of fame of great Scottish architecture."

Interior of the Saunders Centre

The judges for the award were David Dunbar, Iain Dickson and Eleanor McAllister. Their citation for the winning project stated: "This splendid new addition to Glasgow Academy's campus is an elegant and subtle addition to the streetscape.

"The reinforced concrete structural frame is clad in a pattern of precast polished and honed finishes.

"This modular assembly rises from the podium for the raised ground floor, through a sequence of bay windows to a reinterpretation of the Glasgow dormer at roof level."

The building itself incorporates a teaching kitchen and 178-seat auditorium.

Rival projects

In a statement, Paige\Park architects said they were "delighted" to have won the Andrew Doolan Award.

"The Glasgow Academy Saunders building is about science in the city, science embedded into the early years of young people's thinking, science celebrated not out the way but right in the middle of our community, science as open not closed and secret.

"Andy Doolan, as far as we knew, never built a school science building but we hope that he would see in the elaboration of the brief, making and use, the same spirit he promoted in his own challenge to the accepted norms in achieving special places to live, work and enjoy."

The other buildings on the shortlist were:

• West Regent Street, Glasgow - Ryder Architecture for More of Glasgow Developments Ltd

• 2. Blakeburn, Roxburghshire - A449 Ltd for a private client

• Castle MacLellan Foods, Kirkcudbright - Taylor Architecture Practice Ltd for Castle MacLellan Foods

• City of Glasgow College, Riverside Campus, Glasgow - Michael Laird Architects/Reiach and Hall Architects for City of Glasgow College

• Forsinard Lookout Tower, Sutherland - Icosis Architects for The Peatland Partnership - (RSPB, SNH, Forestry Commission, Highland Council)

• Helensburgh Town Centre Public Realm, Helensburgh - Austin-Smith:Lord LLP for Argyll and Bute Council

• "it's bigger on the inside", Edinburgh - David Blaikie Architects for a private client

• Lairdsland Primary School, Kirkintilloch - Walters & Cohen Architects for East Dunbartonshire Council

• The Pyramid Viewpoint, Dunbartonshire - BTE Architecture for Scottish Government, Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park

• Zinc-House, Angus - LJR+H Chartered Architects for a private client