Designed by architect Emil Sodersten and constructed in 1928 as the Gwydir Flats, the three-storey Wilkinson House is one of Sodersten’s earliest residential flat buildings. It’s a fine example of the Inter-War Georgian and Mediterranean Revival styles. Purchased by SCEGGS in 1960, the building was converted to a boarding house for its students. With the greater need for facilities on a small campus, the building was converted to a learning centre in 1980 and is no longer able to meet the needs of the school. The design strategy focuses on designing large bright classrooms with generous circulation routed and support facilities.
Expand ContentOur approach is to minimize the visual changes to the external façade and key heritage areas including the original foyer.
The design reconstructs the full interior including new concrete slabs that will make the building more robust and resilient. Externally the modifications include a new folded copper brise-soleil roof and a steel framed glass core to the south, which houses a new lift and provides a clear circulation link to the main campus. The new roof, built in the same form as the original, takes its inspiration from the drawings of Sodersten that show vertical seams on the roof cladding.
Internally, the new terrazzo stairs and floors in the central zone reference the original stair and lightwell, while the ceiling lights and floor details in each classroom trace the outlines of the original walls. This generous 4m wide central stair is located within the existing lightwell. Top and side lit, this establishes a generous, bright and safe way to circulate through the building. At lower ground level, a basement level is proposed to link Wilkinson House to the Centenary Sports Hall to the south, providing space for physical education activities.
The architecture and interiors have been designed for longevity by using robust solid-core materials and minimizing painted surfaces. This is just one of a broad range of sustainability features in this building.
