Plastic Classroom at Kennington Primary School

The Plastic Classroom at Kennington Primary School is a primary school classroom built between 1973 and 1974, designed by Ben Stephenson and Mike Bracewell under the direction of County Architect Roger Booth for Lancashire County Council Architects’ Department. The original primary school was constructed in 1908 by an unknown architect, with additional extensions made in the 1950s, 1960s, and around 2000. These earlier parts of the school, along with the link corridor connecting the plastic classroom to the main school, are not of special interest and are excluded from the listing.

The classroom is constructed from glassfibre-reinforced plastic (GRP) panels set on a concrete base, and its shape is a modified icosahedron. Located on the east side of the original school building, it sits on a wide, gently-sloping base made of textured concrete. The classroom features a deep, ribbed concrete plinth with nine slightly inward-sloping faces, providing a foundation for the plastic frame. This plinth meets the low, smooth concrete walls of the link corridor on its west side. The main structure consists of angled, triangular GRP panels that are white. There are seven windows around the lower part of the classroom, alternating between two styles: adjacent triangular lights that meet at an outward-facing angle and three triangular lights that converge into an outward-facing triangular pyramid. These lights are fixed with rubber gaskets. Above, triangular panels rise to create an angular dome, which is topped with five circular, button-like ventilators.

The attached link corridor has undergone alterations, including changes to its window arrangement and the addition of a doorway on its north side, and is not included in the listing.

Inside, the classroom retains much of its original appearance, featuring faceted walls and an open floor space. Temporary, hessian-covered triangular boards have been installed between the windows for display purposes. The original perimeter seating has been renewed, and the original spotlights on runners attached to the frame have been replaced with five suspended strip lights.