Duncanrig Secondary School

Duncanrig Secondary School in 2012

Duncanrig Secondary School was designed in 1953 by the Scottish architect Basil Spence. The school was most likely named after the farm Duncanrig in that area. The school was part of the development of the new town of East Kilbride in the South Lanarkshire council area in Scotland.

Spence is perhaps better known for his design of Coventry Cathedral, the "Beehive" building in New Zealand or the British Embassy in Rome amongst many others. Although Spence was to design in the modern Brutalist mould the school he designed at East Kilbride was far from that, being entirely playful and theatrical. The use of colour and varied materials were used to achieve his aim. A short film has been produced by the students of the school who participated in a study of the school itself with the assistance of the RCAHMS (Royal Commission on Ancient & Historical Monuments of Scotland).

A feature of the school building was a large mural by William Crosbie (1915 - 1999) representing the history of the Clyde. This was located at the main entrance, visible through a floor to roofline, two storey glass wall. This distinctive feature, much commented on by students and staff, was, like the school itself, allowed to deteriorate over the years. Crosbie's paintings hang in all the major museums and galleries in Scotland as well as the Royal Collection and the British Museum in London, and in private collections throughout the United Kingdom and abroad. William Crosbie was one of the finest and most singular Scottish painters of the twentieth century.[1]

The building was demolished in 2007. The most accessible record of the building is now at the Sir Basil Spence Archive Project.

A new school was erected on the original playing fields, replacing the original building as part of South Lanarkshire's Schools modernisation programme.[2] It officially opened in 2008. The new building was designed to be available to the community, incorporating indoor and outdoor sports facilities including a floodlit all-weather synthetic pitch, the home of the Friday Football Project.

The modernisation programme included the merger of Duncanrig Secondary School with Ballerup High School, retaining the name Duncanrig Secondary School, which was temporarily housed in the existing building until the new school was built.

Between January and May 2011 the only Digital imaging class held in the art department created a mural showing the link between Duncanrig and the Luwero Community Project, Uganda and this was installed in the library and was officially unveiled on Tuesday, 22 June 2011.

Duncanrig hosts an annual concert titled "Rig Rock".[3] This event is a fundraiser and aids the school gaining a budget and is the schools own variation of "Battle of the bands". "Rig Rock" is available for pupils and teachers within the school and musicians performing are commonly students performing as a band, students who show a passion in music and teachers with knowledge of how to play an instrument, sometimes as a group. The fundraiser is hosted by the schools music department head; Mrs J Ramsey as well as the rest of the music staff within the school. The school has its own sound and technical team to help maintain and add effects to the performances. "Rig Rock" is hosted just before the school is concluded for its Easter break.

References

  1. ↑ "Obituary, 16 Jan 1999, Herald Sun Scotland".
  2. ↑ "Secondary schools modernisation programme". Retrieved 1 April 2011.
  3. ↑ http://www.scottishschools.info/duncanrig/News/Story.aspx?SectionId=aa8384d9-6565-427a-ab66-a33787d2846e&StoryId=2f52d528-0da3-4149-9917-53c1bb0682d3

Coordinates: 55°45′31″N 4°12′15″W / 55.758705°N 4.204229°W