The University of St Andrews has secured planning consent for the renovation of the former Madras College school building in South Street and the construction of new buildings on the site.
Designed by WilkinsonEyre, the renovation plans include the full refurbishment of the Category A listed former Madras College building with a new glass roof introduced over the quad to preserve the sandstone cloister beneath.
There will also be a significant new building to the rear of the historic frontage and in addition to lecture theatres, meeting rooms, study space and conference areas, New College will also feature community spaces, including a café and a Changing Places facility.
On completion, ‘New College’ will be home to the new St Andrews Business School as well as the university’s School of International Relations.
The £142m cost of the development will in large part come from St Andrews alumni and supporters through the university’s Making Waves fundraising campaign. The campaign appeal for New College has already raised more £50m with the biggest contribution so far being Oak Foundation with a £15m grant, Garfield Weston Foundation (£5m) and a recent gift of $5m from long-standing US supporters and St Andrews residents George and Wendy David.
Dame Sally Mapstone, the university’s principal professor, said: “I am very pleased the plan has been approved; the former Madras College secondary school building has a very special place in the hearts of so many members of the St Andrews and North East Fife community, as well as our global alumni and donor network, and we are very grateful for their interest and support for the redevelopment plans. I know many people will now watch with interest as the vision become a reality.
“New College is part of our £300m Making Waves fundraising campaign in support of our world leading ambitions. Despite the very challenging financial circumstances facing the higher education sector, St Andrews recognises it is vital to invest in landmark projects that will not only create an inclusive and inspiring educational space, but also bring tangible benefits to the St Andrews and wider Fife community, and help safeguard the future of the University.”
Stafford Critchlow, board director at WilkinsonEyre, said: “It’s been a rewarding three-year process of careful dialogue to ensure the design properly stitches New College into the historic fabric of central St Andrews. With the restored listed building at its heart, reinvigorated by a newly covered courtyard designed for year-round use in the Fife climate, the scheme delivers outstanding facilities for students, postgraduates and academics. The result is a contemporary academic environment with a strong and distinctive St Andrews character, enriched by a new landscape setting and public access.”
