Pray Street Elementary School

Gardiner, Maine
200 students	grades K-5
8000 sf new, 11,000 sf renovated	Completed 1996

By State regulations, the renovation of this 1950’s era school could include no more than 8,000 sf of new space. We significantly renovated the original building’s long double-loaded corridor to provide more appropriate program spaces, and added a new wing which provides not only desperately needed program space, but a new façade and front door as well.

The new wing includes a gymnasium/ cafetorium, a full production kitchen, and a performance platform which also serves as music and art classroom space. Just off the new lobby, a front office/principal’s office/ nurse clinic/conference room complex, with generous glazing, overlooks both the lobby and the student entry. Complete reorganization of the site provides an enclosed playground and full separation of students from vehicles. This simple, clear addition/renovation replaced a popular but obsolete school with a new neighborhood icon.

Photos: Brian Vanden Brink