Eton College approached Lewandowski Architects to design a new learning centre building; the Tony Little Centre for Innovation and Research in Learning (CIRL). It provided a base for a number of functions relating to education. We proposed a contemporary refurbishment with a varying scale of teaching spaces; from small ‘one–to-one’ learning environments to an open plan creative IT suite.

The biggest challenge that Lewandowski Architects faced was to turn a dark uninviting building that embodied traditional teaching philosophies, into a modern vibrant space that inspired its users. Our sensitive approach to the project meant that the exterior of the building remained largely unaltered, but a very different and contemporary experience was created once inside. The glazed arches provided a glimpse of the clean crisp interior and acted as a threshold between the traditional form of the existing building and the modern facilities accommodated within.

Photography © Jack Hobhouse