Norwich's Open Academy topped out
Last updated: 15/10/2009 12:00:00
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| Graham Dacre and the Bishop of Norwich at the topping out of Open Academy in Norwich. |
The Christian sponsors behind Norfolk's first academy followed in some illustrious footsteps this morning as they became carpenters to finish the roof of the £21m building.
Graham Dacre and the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Rev Graham James, drilled the final two screws into the dome of the Open Academy as part of a topping out ceremony.
They followed the lead of Jesus, who was a carpenter in Nazareth. But, unlike 2,000-plus years ago, they had the benefit of a power tool to carry out the task.
Mr Dacre also poured some champagne on the roof at the event to mark the completion of the highest point of the Marryat Road building, which will open next September in the place of the former Heartsease High on the same site.
The academy opened in September 2008 in the old buildings, and had a successful first year, with GCSE results almost doubling.
Bishop Graham said: “I think we've got something here which will inspire future generations of young people who come here to learn.
“I'm delighted to have uncorked the champagne and I hope that a lot more spirit will come out of this building.”
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Timelapse courtesy of the Open Academy |
Mr Dacre, the man behind the Open youth venue in the former Barclays Bank on Bank Plain, Norwich, said; “I want to say how much we have enjoyed working together on this project on behalf of all in Heartsease. We are thrilled with it.”
Current principal Howard Lay, who is at the academy three-days-a-week and will be replaced by a full-time principal at Easter or in September, said: “It's a massive investment in our students and the area as a whole.
“It will form a new community hub offering sports facilities, a 220-seat lecture theatre for meetings and groups and, of course, the auditorium for large-scale concerts.”
He added: “It also embodies a central ethos of the school - our commitment to the environment and engineering. It demonstrates how you can have a structure of superb form and function without having an impact on the environment.”
The school is being constructed by Kier Eastern, whose managing director Graham Howe said there was a tradition in northern Europe of planting a fir tree to top out a building.
He said: “We don't need a fir tree because the building is made of timber.”
Crome county councillor George Nobbs said: “It's a fantastic day for the children of Crome ward. They will be the first in Norfolk to benefit from the academies programme.”
See our video section for a fascinating walk-through of the new building as it will look when completed, plus a stop-motion video showing the building taking shape.