Costain Buildings at Rydal School

Cadw's description

Location

Forms two sides of courtyard on the E side of the school dining hall, and bounded by Landsdowne Road and Queen’s Drive.

History

Rydal School was founded in 1885 by a leading Methodist educationalist, T G Osborn. The Costain building was added to the growing school complex in 1927-30 as science laboratories etc and the Memorial Hall, which extends the L-plan Costain building to the S, was added in 1955-7. Both buildings were designed by S Colwyn Foulkes, architect, of Colwyn Bay.

Exterior

Coursed and squared sandstone rubble with plain tiled roofs. 2 storeyed, L-plan, with low corner towner at angle. Simplified Tudor detailing. On the courtyard side, the N range has a gable marking its W angle, with canted bay window with mullioned and transomed lights, and paired windows above. Beyond it is a cloister of 5 bays, with small 2 and 3-light mullioned windows in the upper storey. High parapet. W-facing range is similarly detailed, with 3x3-light mullioned and transomed windows to ground floor, and similar windows above. Segmentally arched doorway to right gives access to broad through-passage which forms the lobby of the Memorial Hall. Street elevations have a more detailed relief, with wide mullioned and transomed windows in each bay, divided by blind traceried panels. Corner tower has angle buttresses and oriel windows in 2 faces, and is surmounted by an embattled parapet. Memorial Hall has 3 high-set lights to its left, with quatrefoil frieze above, then is articulated as 3 bays, divided by buttresses which terminate in coupled finials; each bay has a 3-tier 2-light mullioned and transomed window. Buttressed fly-tower to the S, with very narrow lights and a shallow pyramidal roof behind a parapet. Its austere S-facing elevation is relieved by a series of slight pilaster buttresses.

Interior

The Costain Building is planned with corridors along its two inner faces (serving as a cloister on the N range), and retains the original internal layout.

Reason for designation

The Costain Building is a highly refined interpretation of the collegiate architectural style, sensitive to its site, and articulating precisely defined functions.