A Glasgow school has transformed the way it looks by projecting a light show on to its facade every evening.

For 15 minutes an hour, from 6pm until 10pm, lights are projected on to the exterior of Shawlands Academy, turning it from “a bland, severe and heavily screened building into an open, welcoming, colourful, contemporary space for arts, fun and learning”.

The show is part of a project to regenerate the centre of Shawlands as the school sits on one of the main routes into the town.

The display was over two years in the making and has been steered by students, encouraging them to think about their school environment, public art, landscaping and what makes good design.

The students wrote the visual brief and then worked with design company Light Collective to develop inspiring light designs.

A report into the project said: “If pupils need to learn about the planets then they can design their own planetarium. If it’s the coldest day of the year and they are missing the spring they can create their own flower display.”

Currently the light show features animations created by an S2 IT class; soon it will be used to exhibit students’ Higher art work.

Sam Cassels of Architecture and Design Scotland, which was involved in the project, said: “We radically altered the appearance of the school and how it is viewed by the local community without touching it.”

The project, which cost about #163;7,000, was funded jointly by Glasgow City Council development and regeneration services and the area committee. Pictured, page 3.