RIAS Award 2024 winning redevelopment of Edwardian school building into a functional, flexible and accessible community space, with discrete interventions to maximise social value.

The name, Kinning Park Complex, refers to both an organisation and to a place. That place is an old red sandstone building - built in 1916 as an addition to Lambhill Street Primary School. Slated for closure in 1996, a group of the centre's users took matters into their hands, occupying the building for 55 days and nights until an agreement was reached allowing the centre to remain open under the management of the community, as Kinning Park Complex.

We have been working with KPC since 2017 to find a way forwards for a functional, flexible and accessible space for generations to come. We began by speaking to the people the building supported - tenants, local residents, and the team running the space. These conversations created a clear brief for us to answer.

Our approach to the building is one of adaptive re-use. Making the most of the building's heritage and existing structure to create functional, flexible and accessible community and creative workspace across all three storeys. Our design opens up the original double-helix stairs to aid visibility, safety, security and access to the building, while also allowing natural light to filter from the existing rooflight. A new passenger lift allows level access from the ground floor to all areas of the building, while a new ramp to the secondary entrance ensures full accessibility for everybody. A quiet space has also been created which acts as a multi-purpose support space for a range of uses, including: prayer; breastfeeding; quiet space for neurodiverse users and breakout/thinking space.

The building reached practical completion in March 2022 and re-opened its doors to the community in Spring 2022.

"This is such an extraordinary, ordinary building.

One space in the building always take my breath away, through careful demolition of interventions dating from 1950 onwards, we have been able to bring the second floor atrium closer to its original intentions. Now, it is no longer a space dominated by boxed in corridors, water leaks and tarpaulins and the double-helix (boys and girls) staircase and the large rooflight make this a space a really special place for gathering, conversation and basking in the beautiful quality of light even on the greyest of days. "
Becca Thomas, Creative Director, New Practice

"Over the last 25 years, many people have worked hard to keep the building operating, making sure it was just good enough for use. We have always worked hard to make Kinning Park Complex welcoming, but the conditions of the space meant that we faced limitations with this. Accessibility of the building was a main focus for us as an organisation, to have a building that can be used by everyone, where people are comfortable and safe, to create an environment that nurtures ideas and helps them grow.

Kinning Park Complex has always been a great resource, even when it was cold, wet and broken. Now, with the redevelopment complete, our communities can be part of building a future that is here for generations to come."
Racheal Smith, Lead of Operations, Kinning Park Complex