Students move into new $98m Adelaide CBD school building after delays

Students have finally moved into a new $98m building at an Adelaide CBD school - including a rooftop basketball court with amazing city views. See the pictures.

Students have moved into the new building at Adelaide Botanic High School. Picture: Emma Brasier.

Students have moved into the new $98m expansion of an Adelaide CBD school after construction delays meant they had to learn elsewhere on campus for the start of the year.

The new seven-storey building at Adelaide Botanic High School is almost complete, including a rooftop sports area, a ground floor cafe, an entrepreneurial hub and STEM labs.

In September, it was revealed that the builder, Lendlease, advised that the building would not open for students by the start of 2024 even as workers took extra shifts and increased weekend construction to finish the build.

Adelaide Botanic High School. Picture Emma Brasier.

Despite speculation that the delays would mean not all of its about 1250 students would be able to return to school, contingency plans meant that they could all study on campus while construction continued.

Adelaide Botanic High School principal Alistair Brown said moving into the new building is “an exciting time for students and staff”.

“Everyone has managed extremely well in the temporary situation of all being accommodated in the original buildings so far this year,” Mr Brown said.

“We are looking forward to making full use of the new building.”

Further fit-out and landscaping is set to be complete by the end of the month.

Cox Architecture was responsible for the design of the expansion and the original design of the school.

What a view! Premier Peter Malinauskas meets some Year 9 students on the new basketball court rooftop. Picture:Russell Millard

Education Minister Blair Boyer said the new building will help young people prepare for the workforce. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Premier Peter Malinauskas meet students during a first look at the newly completed $98 million Adelaide Botanic High School extension. Picture:Russell Millard

Premier Peter Malinauskas said the new state-of-the-art facilities would allow more kids to learn science, engineering and maths ahead of SA’s future AUKUS projects.

“On my visits to nuclear shipyards in the United States last week, I was struck by the scale of work ahead of us to prepare for AUKUS,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“The simple fact is, we need more girls and boys learning STEM – many more.”

He said the project was “a testament to the importance we place on education and ensuring our young people have the skills they need to enter the workforce”.

Education Minister Blair Boyer said the design of the building “has no traditional corridors, and an open format that creates a feeling of connectedness”.

“Adelaide Botanic High School offers creative, flexible teaching and learning spaces, designed to engage students in everything they do,” Mr Boyer said.