Report - Chance technical college, media centre, Smethwick, October 2012

TranKmasT · Oct 15, 2012

I noticed the Chance technical college/Municipal etc have now been moved to public. I've put this in here as a start as I haven't seen it anywhere else(I could be wrong). Mods feel free to move it to public if you wish.

I came here with the intention of visiting the main reception hall and other buildings but got distracted by this on the way in. I only had a couple of hours so quickly wizzed around mainly shooting hand held with high ISOs.
A lot of the original features have been hidden by false ceilings and sound proofing but there are bits if you look hard enough.

I must go back a get that DOME and projection room at some point.

Chance Technical College, Smethwick

in 1846 the Chance family started evening classes in science and art at their glassworks in Spon Lane for the benefit of their workers. In 1852 an education institute was formed which existed for almost twenty years. By 1885 Most classes were being run in the envening at the higher grade school in Crocketts Lane. In 1910 a permanent Smethwick Technical School was opened next door. It served as a Junior Technical School for school-age pupils during the day and an adult further education school in the evenings.

The school became Smethwick Municipal College in 1927 and was renamed Chance Technical College in 1945 and A block of engineering and building workshops was opened in 1950.

Between 1952 and 1966 major extensions were built and they enabled the college to accommodate 3,500 students by 1966. In 1968 the college was merged with Oldbury College of Further Education to form Warley College of Technology, with the buildings in Crockett's Lane (Chance Building) housing the main administrative centre of the new college and six of its eight departments

At some point it merged again and became Sandwell College - Smethwick Finally closing in stages between 2011 and 2012 as the college moved to a new campus.

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I've posted this location in Members only for the time being as its opposite a police station and they seem to take an interest in it. Sorry about the amount of photos theres lots of good stuff to see here and I had trouble cutting them down too far!