Runnymede College, when academics are transferred to architecture

24.10.2023 | Education

FAST Table and SLAM Chair in Runnymede College

The SET Stool in a laboratory at Runnymede College

Runnymede College is a British school located in the town of Alcobendas, on the outskirts of Madrid (Spain), which has renovated its facilities. Runnymede College aims to offer a complete and quality education and for this they needed to undertake improvements. Rojo/Fernández-Shaw Architects have been in charge of the project and have been able to perfectly interpret the academic philosophy of the centre and transfer it to the architectural environment so that its pupils aged between 2 and 18 can enjoy attractive and interesting spaces.

The Madrid-based architectural firm's approach to this installation seems to us to be very successful, which is why we were very excited when they showed their interest in including our furniture in one of their multi-purpose rooms and in several of their laboratories.

For the first of the spaces (the multipurpose room) the Rojo/Fernández-Shaw Architects team chose our FAST Table, designed by Carlos Tíscar and perfect for equipping this type of multipurpose space. FAST is one of the systems we offer at Sellex for storing a large number of tables in the same room without taking up too much space. The FAST Table is a detachable table in which the tops and the frame are independent pieces. This opens up a wide range of possible combinations. On this occasion we have installed 9 frames of 120cm in grey and white and one of 150cm in the same tones.

To accompany our FAST Table, 76 SLAM Basic Chairs (Lievore Altherr Molina) in chrome and white polypropylene have been installed in the same space.

The other Sellex product that has equipped the centre has been the SET Stool by Mario Ruiz, in its Central Leg version. A total of 154 stools that follows the same chromatic line, grey and white and that, on this occasion, has been installed in the laboratories.

The choice of these pieces is due to 'the simplification of their design, the differentiation between the chromed leg and the top, and their lightness', according to the studio. Of course we are very grateful for the trust placed in our furniture.

Ceramics as the protagonist

If there is something that can be highlighted in this project, it is the variety of materials that coexist and above all the ability to connect them even though they are so different. In fact, this is what the jury of the ASCER Ceramic Architecture Awards valued when awarding a prize to this project because 'ceramics is not used as a classic covering and is capable of separating itself from the plane of the façade'. It also valued 'the ability of ceramics to coexist with other industrial materials'.

On the inside, wood, resin and glass in its different states of transparency; on the outside, glazed ceramic and corrugated and perforated galvanised metal sheet.

The team of architects acknowledges that they have found in glazed ceramics 'an extraordinary architectural resource', which accompanies and unifies every need on the Campus. And we couldn't agree more.