Peter Symonds Announces £5.4 Million State-Of-The-Art Music School
Peter Symonds College, Winchester, has secured Department for Education funding to build a £5.4 million state-of-the-art music school.
The 1205m2 premium facility is set to include:
• Recital room with capacity of 130 seats
• Rehearsal rooms
• Practice rooms
• Classrooms
Principal Sara Russell, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to announce this exciting news on behalf of our College. Our new Music School will offer the very best of facilities, and take our music courses to another level by providing students with the opportunity to learn, practise and perform in an environment that is unparalleled on the South Coast.
“The Music School bolsters our existing associations with Hampshire Specialist Music Course and Steinway Pianos. We are already a centre of excellence with an unrivalled reputation for helping students fulfil their musical ambitions, and providing a springboard to some of the country’s top conservatoires.”
Construction of the music school follows 18 months of rigorous and complex discussions with sustainability, urban design and conservation consultants, among others. The building will incorporate renewable energy sourced from solar panels and internal heat recovery systems, and will feature several illuminated electric vehicle charging points. Conservationists have endorsed plans to incorporate the installation of bat boxes to encourage and protect their declining population.
Working groups including City of Winchester Trust were heavily engaged in the planning and local residents were also involved in discussions on how the College will maintain the open, green, character of the site, while moving to more renewable technologies and managing traffic flow.
Principal Russell continues: ““Renewing our buildings is essential and this investment in infrastructure means we will be able to provide high-quality, versatile learning and performance spaces. We are, however, conscious that there may be some short-term disruption during construction. We are committed to minimising this and have a proven track record of successfully and sensitively managing projects of this nature. We will continue to work closely with our neighbours and with Winchester City Council to operate at the highest of standards and expectations.”
The music school will be built on the site of Wyke Lodge which has poor energy usage and is inefficient, and has come to the end of its beneficial life. Permission for its demolition and the music school build was granted in February 2024. Completion is scheduled for winter/spring 2025.
Posted: 16 May 2024
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