School is mocked for looking like a giant sperm: Former pupil reveals how ‘state-of-the-art’ white oval design with winding road has strange resemblance when viewed from above
- Monkseaton High School in Whitley Bay moved to a £22m building in late 2009
- Architects wanted to make the most of natural light in the news school building
A school’s ‘state-of-the-art’ design has been mocked after a former pupil revealed Google Maps shots showing it looks like a giant sperm cell from above.
Monkseaton High School in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, has been mocked online after a former pupil shared aerial shots of its strangely recognisable shape – suggesting ‘surely someone knew’.
Its white oval building has been likened to the head of a sperm cell, while its long and narrow path leading up to the car park looks like its tail.
Facebook users rushed to mock the design as ‘inconceivable’ and one jokingly questioned if it had a high rate of teenage pregnancies.
Another even claimed they walk past the building every day but wouldn’t be able to look at it in the same way since viewing the bird’s-eye-view images.
Monkseaton High School in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, pictured, was compared to a giant sperm after a former pupil saw the new building’s image from Google Street View
The aerial shot from Google Street View shows the distinctive oval building which is linked to the adjacent car park through a winding pathway
The former pupil has speculated that ‘surely someone knew’ about its appearance yet North Tyneside Council insists it wasn’t built with the shape in mind.
Local reports claim Monkseaton High School students moved from the old building into the current ‘state-of-the-art’ one in September 2009 after eight years of planning and construction.
The oval shape was said to maximise natural light and encourage physical activity due to its web of classrooms surrounding the sports hall in the centre.
The building was reportedly developed by Dewjoc Architects and compared to a spaceship or a football stadium on completion.
But the Facebook post from earlier this month earned more than 1,000 reactions from the more crude comparison to a sex cell.
The former pupil posted the images on Facebook and said: ‘My old high school. Surely someone knew.’
Designers wanted to maximise natural light at the school to increase its energy efficiency
From the ground, the school looks like a shopping centre or sporting arena instead of a traditional school
One commented: ‘Got to be a huge triangle forest nearby.’
Another questioned: ‘Were there a lot of teen pregnancies?’
One local said: ‘I go past it every day but will never look at it the same now.’
One joked: ‘Well how else do you expect them to make new high schools?’
Another simply added: ‘Inconceivable.’
Monkseaton High School was contacted for comment but failed to respond despite repeat requests.
North Tyneside Council declined to comment but said that the building was not designed that way intentionally.
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