#university

On hope in modernism

A white booklet with bold black text on the cover reading ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL. The authors, Simon Phipps & Darren Umney, are listed at the bottom. The booklet rests on a wooden surface with a diagonal grain pattern.
An open magazine on a wooden table displays black and white pages. The left page, titled THE UNIVERSITIES BUILD, features text and three photos of modern university buildings. The right page, THE STUDENT IN RESIDENCE, shows text and a large photo of a concrete building.

Look at what came in the post! 😍 I completely missed this exhibition, but when I found an sample in a gallery a few weeks ago, Leeds University Library Galleries were kind enough to dig out and post to me an original copy of “Another Brick In The Wall”, the exhibition programme filled with a brief history and gorgeous pictures of 1960’s new universities, one of which I went to (although that one was not featured in this exhibition). I’ve already been to Leeds, but Sussex and East Anglia are definitely on my bucket list.

I really enjoyed this passage from exhibition curators Darren Umney and Simon Phipps:

The buildings, and the stories behind their planning and construction, embody a number of concepts that are increasingly scarce: an architectural sensibility which reflects a shared emphasis on social equality; the academic aspiration for a broad holistic educational experience; and a political environment where policies strived to support a sustainable and equitable democracy.

(…)

It is of some comfort that the curation of these buildings and their histories continues. It is however an uncomfortable truth that the aspirational vision of postwar Britain – to create a fairer society and a thriving democracy supported by innovations in design, technology and education – was to be diluted and diverted.

That vision is now often framed as unachievable and utopian. An ideal upheld only by derided stereotypes of the socialist, the bleeding heart, the artist. Whereas it was once held together in an (albeit fragile) consensus, it increasingly seems to be a vision that was based on a currency which is no longer valued and imbued with values that are no longer current.

This is part of the attraction of modernism for me – where it certainly failed in some respects (for various reasons. just and otherwise, better documented elsewhere), it was at least filled with an aspirational vision of hope, although perhaps this is only a nostalgic view.

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Assorted Leeds, 2024

A modern concrete building with many windows sits beside a reflective pond with some plants. A wide paved walkway leads to the entrance, lined with benches and flower planters. The sky above is overcast, and the scene appears quiet and empty.
A modern, multi-story building complex stands under a cloudy sky behind a pond with green plants and tall grasses. The pond features small islands of vegetation, and there are walkways and railings surrounding the water.
A multi-story, modern concrete building with many vertical windows and an external zigzag staircase. Overcast sky, some greenery and plants in the foreground, with a few people visible at the bottom edge. Another building is seen in the background.
A modern multi-story office building with large glass windows, horizontal concrete panels, and rows of leafy green trees in the foreground. The windows reflect the blue sky and clouds above. The scene appears bright and well-lit.
A modern abstract metal sculpture stands on lush green grass with tall plants around it. The sculpture is dark with a green patina accent. Behind it, a grey multi-story building with balconies and large windows is partially visible among leafy trees.
A red-brick building with a central section of light-colored stone. The stone section features tall, narrow windows and a geometric relief at the top. Multiple floors are visible, and two yellow lights can be seen inside the window above the main entrance.
A wavy white metal sculpture with the words to learn cut out stands in front of leafy green trees. The metal has a reflective edge and appears wet from rain. The sky above is cloudy and gray.
A tall, narrow modern building with sharp, angular design and diagonal bands of windows. The top section juts out dramatically. Trees with green leaves frame the building, and the sky above is cloudy, letting through some sunlight.
A tall modern building with glass stairwell windows featuring bold red diagonal railings. The building is flanked by beige stone walls, air conditioning units, and various pipes. Above, clouds partially block sunlight, casting shadows on the structure.
A tall, narrow section of a brick building features four large, vertically stacked, grid-like windows. Through the windows, a white staircase with metal railings, interior walls, and reflected outdoor light are visible. Adjacent buildings have similar windows.
A bronze statue of a draped, headless human figure floating horizontally outdoors, with its legs and one arm extended backward, stands on a stone base among dense green plants in a courtyard beside a red-brick building with large windows.
A beige, windowless building with PHYSICS written in small white letters above a black metal gate and a shuttered door, under a cloudy sky. A brick building is partially visible on the right. A low wall and yellow road lines run in front.
A large, brutalist-style concrete building with rows of dark windows on each floor sits on a city corner under a cloudy sky. Sunlight peeks through the clouds above. Cars are parked nearby, and a few pedestrians walk at street level. Traffic signs are visible.

A Leeds University Public Art trail Mooch [10/08/24]

In order:

Roger Stevens Building

Perhaps my new favourite university building, sorry to the Renold Building x

Barbara Hepworth – Dual Form

I believe there’s also a Barbara Hepworth sculpture in one of the courts at Lancaster University, which I didn’t find out about until last year, due to my minimal attendance on campus while I was a student 🥴

Mitzi Cunliffe – Man-Made Fibres

A gorgeous stone carving, commissioned as part of the Clothworkers Building South to reflect the progress in the field of synthetic fibres.

Juanjo Novella – Curtain

Detail shot.

Staircase at the Henry Price Building

An unnecessarily extra, geometrically askew staircase, especially delightful coming west from St George’s Field.

School of Chemical and Process Engineering building

Staircase detail shot.

School of Healthcare

Staircase detail shot at the rear of the building.

Quentin Bell – The Dreamer

Inspired by a magician’s trick that Bell saw as a child. There’s something melancholy about the sculpture at situated in a quiet courtyard, surrounded by leafy vegetatation. It’s been moved several times but this feels like the right place for it.

P H Y S I C S

At the rear of the Physics Research Deck.

Bank House

And finally, away from the campus, en-route to the train station, the striking former regional headquarters of the Bank of England. Via British Listed Buildings:

Inverted ziggurat of in-situ reinforced-concrete construction with grey Cornish granite and bronze cladding. 5-storeys plus basement

—

The Public Art Trail at the University of Leeds is inexplicably only available to download as a PDF, but is well worth it. I far prefer architecture to sculpture, but luckily this has both, and anything which gets me on a guided walk is a win in my book.

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