Sea View primary school
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The Sea View primary school is a mixed primary school of non denominational religion in Swansea, south Wales.
The building is a prominent landmark of Swansea, being a very distictive semi-circular structure located on the top of Mayhill. Most people in the Swansea area recognise the building but don't have a clue as to what it is. When a typical Swansea person is asked about the building, a great many theories will be offered. As its name suggests, it offers an excellent view of the sea.
When it was first opened 1932, it was named the Mayhill primary school and was built to serve the growing population of the Townhill council estate. It is located on the edge of the council estate in a large round sloping field known by generations simply as the "Round Top".
The building was designed by the borough architect Ernest Morgan. He used the spectacular location to great effect designing a building that is often credited as a masterpiece of functional architecture. The building contains ten classrooms designed with removeable walls opening on to internal cloisters looking out into a grassed central area.
Morgan designed the school on so called 'open air' principles which were derived from experimental school buildings built in the Dyfatty area in the early 1900s. The 'open air' principle was based on the 'light and air' concept which was popular with garden city designers early on in the 20th Century. At the time, it was widely believed that light and fresh air helped to promote good health and well being. With the 'open air' design, the building gets very cold in the winter.
