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North elevation
The site, measuring approximately 160 ft. x 110 ft., is less than 1/2 acre in area and is located at the junction of Peck Seah Street and Wallich Street, which are off the main public thoroughfares. The back of the site faces residential quarters belonging to the Customs and Postal Departments. It also has access to an open space between the quarters and a small community centre.
Being on a former hill known as Mount Wallich, which has since been removed, the site has extremely good soil conditions and consequently no piling was necessary for the founda- tions an unusual occurrence for a seven-storey structure in Singapore.
The problem which the designers
East elevation
faced was to provide a school which would not be out of place in its urban surroundings yet would fulfil the basic requirements of the brief.
As the site was restricted, a multi- storey school was necessary in order to achieve the required floor areas without developing over the entire site. It was decided to raise all the teaching accommodation above ground floor thus freeing as much as possible of the site level for a covered play
area.
The school consists of two blocks
a seven-storey classroom block and a two-storey canteen and assem- bly hall block which abuts the street boundaries of the site. The two blocks are connected at ground and
first floor levels.
The main entrance to the school is at Peck Seah Street and a secondary and service entrance is provided at Wallich Street. A small car parking lot is laid out for the school staff.
Assembly Hall and Canteen
The canteen and kitchen are situat- ed on the ground floor level directly below the assembly hall. The hall measures 60 ft. x 40 ft. and opens out to a first floor terrace on one side. It can be approached from the main entrance courtyard by an external staircase.
A stage is provided at one end of the hall, which is also used for music
View from Wallich Street showing west face of assembly and classroom blocks
Far East BUILDER, April 1968.
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