New Adelaide city high school to cost $100 million and take further 250 students

FIRST PICS: Adelaide’s new city high school will cost $15 million more than originally planned in order to accommodate another 250 students. See the first images of the Frome Rd campus.

• Location of new city high school revealed
• Premier vows to build high school on old RAH site
• Apartments, offices and arts precinct planned for old RAH site

THE new Adelaide city high school will have an extra $15 million investment from the State Government to boost its capacity by 250 students.

The Frome Rd school will now cost $100 million and cater for 1250 students. It will open in Term 1, 2019.

Advertiser.com.au can also reveal the first artist impressions of the school, which will be a refurbishment of the UniSA Reid Building linked by a glass atrium to a new six-storey building with a rooftop terrace.

The state’s first “vertical school” will have five rooms that cantilever from the buildings into the atrium, which students will cross on different levels on four bridges.

“The concept design is modern and exciting, and sits beautifully within the parklands,” Education Minister Susan Close said.

Artist impression of the new Adelaide city high school.

“The school’s strong focus on STEM subjects is reflected in the cutting edge science, design and technology laboratories which will help prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow.

“Students will also have access to some of the latest equipment in engineering and investigative science.

“This new school has also been designed to ensure it is well connected to the rich variety of community assets in the city’s educational and cultural precinct.”

Dr Close said the additional capacity was enabled by adding two extra levels to the new building. She said the school would be contained on the Reid Building site and land it bought from UniSA for $30 million, and would not encroach further on surrounding parklands.

The Government is still in negotiations with Adelaide University about the high school students’ access to nearby university playing fields.

An artist’s impression of inside the school atrium. Pic: Supplied

There will be secure basement bicycle parking for 170 bikes but the campus will have just three carparks, making both staff and students reliant on public transport.

Dr Close said she would be “astonished” if teachers decided they did not want to work at the school because of the cost of parking in the CBD.

“I expect there will be very many teachers who want to work here,” she said.

Local firm Cox Architecture has led the design team. State manager Adam Hannon said “significant testing” for contamination found the site was safe.

Key design features include:

STATE-of-the art science, design and technology laboratories and equipment;

FOOD technology kitchens;

ENVIRONMENTALLY friendly buildings which minimise energy and water use;

MUSIC and drama practice and learning spaces, and;

SECURE basement bicycle parking for 170 bikes.

Construction is expected to start in December, after the Government originally said it expected to begin in the middle of this year.