McAdory High School

Jefferson County Board of Education

The original school was designed in 1937 by E.B. Van Keuren (Davis Architects’ predecessor) and built in 1939 by the Works Progress Administration. The design objective was to renovate and restore the original Art Deco-style high school, while adding three additional building elements that would meet program requirements and seamlessly integrate with the original building. The original building was completely gutted, but since it was constructed almost entirely out of cast-in-place concrete, the original structural clarity and decorative architectural elements were left intact. To achieve the same exterior appearance as the existing building, the new building was constructed with load-bearing concrete blocks and a stucco veneer, and the original Art Deco detailing was carefully analyzed and reproduced on the new additions.

The school did not have a prominent main entrance, and a key goal of the new design was to provide this main entry element and have it appear part of the original building. The original gymnasium was converted to a state of the art 650 seat Performing Arts Center, with the old gymnasium floor (the only wood structure in the entire building) replaced by a sloped concrete floor, and a stage that extends out into the seating area. Acoustical elements were added, through careful design analysis, to provide an appropriate acoustical space for high school plays and band concerts. The original glass block façade was recreated at the Auditorium entry, and a sample of the original concrete, with 7 existing layers of paint, was analyzed to determine the original paint color for the exterior. A new competition gymnasium and an eight-classroom addition were built in the Art Deco aesthetic.

At a glance

• Located in McCalla, Alabama

• 120,000 sf

• Completed 2006

Services

• Architecture

• Interior Design

• Furniture Package