Chambers of Memory

College Mission Statement

My six-year period at St Edward’s College provided me with an educational system modelled on the strict principles of British public schools. The college conveyed an excellent holistic foundation for character building. However, the time spent within the college walls was beneficial not only on an academic and educational level, but also for having provided me with another of my initial inspirational fonts for a future architectural career. The buildings of the college were remodelled in 1929 from the original British military hospital. Embedded within the imposing confines of the St Clements Bastions, part of the Order of St John’s defensive Cottonera lines, the Royal Engineers’ arched edifice contrasted strongly with the stalwart solidity of the bastion walls. The elegant arches of the terraced buildings cast playful shadows which could not but fascinate and intrigue a young inquisitive mind.

Another distinctive edifice on the college campus was the original ammunition depot of the knights which was converted into the chapel. Its stark exterior walls contrasted with the dimly lit interior ambiance which provided an appropriate atmosphere for a sacred space. My relationship with the college extended to 1994 when I was commissioned to convert and enlarge the married teachers’ quarters into the Junior School, providing besides classrooms, a library, and art, music, and drama rooms.