School lifted to new heights

A striking new lift that will grip the imagination of Park Walk Primary School pupils has won a prestigious design award.

The new lift at Park Walk Primary School SW10 has been included in this year's D&AD annual, in the Wayfinding and Environmental Graphics section. The D&AD annual features the most outstanding international design and advertising work from the previous 12 months.

The exciting lift installation in the Grade II listed Park Walk Primary School building offers more than mere elevation. A lift zone was created to stimulate children's educational curiosity through an impressive display of life-size animal murals, whilst the rear face of the lift car is glazed to allow views of nocturnal animals. The results are impressive as the striking black and white pictogram-style animals inspire and educate the pupils outside of the classroom. The architects were Walker Bushe Associates and the designers were Linnett Webb Jenkins.

Councillor Elizabeth Campbell, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's Cabinet Member for Education, said: "We are very proud that this stunning piece of architecture at one of the Royal Borough's primary schools has won this prestigious design award. This is testament to the hard work of the Council staff, architects and designers, the school and English Heritage whose efforts ensured an ambitious project came to fruition.

"The eye-catching project has made a significant improvement to the daily experience of the pupils at the school and created a fun learning environment outside the classroom."

Headteacher of Park Walk Primary School, Jayne Halliwell, said: "The project was a leap of faith for all concerned and we wanted to produce something truly inspirational.

"Schools should not be about conformity and drab standardisation, and this thrilling design will promote educational curiosity for our pupils for many generations to come."

Details of the design award can be seen at the D&AD website http://www.dandad.org/awards/professional/2012/categories/grpd/graphic-design