Studio Granda: secondary school extension, Reykjavik, Iceland.

First built in the late '50s, with a new building added in 1975, Vogaskoli secondary school was at one time the largest school in Iceland. In 2004, increases in the number of students and changes in pedagogical thinking prompted the city to demolish the 1975 building and build a new extension, designed by Studio Granda.

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Informed by the principles of open schooling, the new building is a flexible, permeable set of spaces arranged around a double-height hall. Library, music, kitchen and administration areas are placed on the lower floor, with teaching zones above. Physical divisions are minimised through the use of glass or moveable partitions. A grand stair connects the hall to the upper level and this can be used either as an audience platform or stage. C. S.

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