#university — Modernist Delights

Rankine Building, Glasgow, 2025

A large, grey concrete building with multiple rows of windows and a modernist design. People walk in and out of the entrance, where a blue sign reads James Watt School of Engineering. Trees frame the scene, and the sky is partly cloudy.

A concrete ventilation structure stands against a rough, pebbled building wall. Above it, rectangular windows line the building. A bicycle rack and a parked bike are visible in front, with scattered debris on the dark pavement.

A brutalist-style building with exposed concrete, rows of rectangular windows, and a tall cylindrical chimney. The sky is blue with a few clouds visible. Pipes and industrial elements are seen along the building’s dark exterior wall.

A large, grey, concrete Brutalist-style building with rectangular windows, angular features, and exterior staircases. People walk by on the pavement; trees and a blue sky with scattered clouds are visible in the background.

Close your eyes, and imagine how this would have looked before it had uPVC windows put in.

Davidson Building, Glasgow, 2025

A large, modern building with beige stone walls and tall windows, including a section with vertical glass panels. Trees partially frame the building, and a parked car is visible in the lower left corner. The sky is partly cloudy.

A modern building with large glass windows reflecting the sky and trees. The ground floor reveals a laboratory inside with equipment and shelves, while the upper floors show reflections and some desks with lights on. A tree is at the right edge.

A weathered window with streaked glass and a rusted metal frame on a beige concrete wall. A sign reading NO BICYCLES TO BE PARKED is attached to a horizontal bar in front of the window. Green trees are faintly reflected in the glass.

A modern, tan stone building with large glass windows sits beside a sloping street. The main entrance has steps, a handrail, a small canopy, and signs near the door. Reflections of trees and sky are visible in the windows.

St Andrew’s Building, Glasgow, 2025

A concrete building with rows of large windows reflects bright sunlight. The photo is taken from a low angle, emphasising the modern, rectangular design. The sky is clear and blue, with the sun creating a starburst effect on the glass.

A five-storey modernist building with a grid of rectangular windows, teal and white panels, and concrete framing. The facade has strong vertical and horizontal lines, with a clear blue sky above. The ground level features columns and a stone exterior.

A five-storey modern building with large windows and a concrete façade stands next to older red-brick buildings. Trees partially obscure the lower floors, and parked cars are visible along the street in bright sunlight.

Bourdon Building, Glasgow School of Art, 2025

A steep street with parked cars leads uphill past a modern, concrete building. Pedestrians walk by the THIRD EYE BAR sign on the left. A yellow Diversion sign and scaffolding are on the right. The sky is partly cloudy.

A modern building with large windows and concrete columns, some painted yellow and green. Bicycles are parked against the wall, and a white SUV and a red car are parked on the street in front. The sky is overcast.

Building plans as well as fantastic illustrations by Nebo Peklo are available on the Glasgow City Heritage Trust website.

Renold Building, Manchester, 2025

A tall, modern white office building with large glass windows stands under a cloudy grey sky. Three cars, including a yellow one, are parked in front. Another white building and a green-roofed structure are visible in the background. Trees line the scene.

A tall, modernist white building with many windows and a zigzag side façade is seen under a cloudy sky. Snow is lightly falling. The letters “SYSTEM” are displayed vertically on the left side. Other buildings are partially visible on the sides.

A modern, multi-storey concrete building has large glass windows and a protruding glass stairwell. The word “ASTER” appears in black letters on the upper left corner. A leafy green tree partially obscures the lower left of the structure. The sky is grey.

I was having a lovely time mooching around Manchester on a workday… until the heavens opened.

Holder Building, Oxford, 2025

View looking up between two Brutalist buildings connected by two elevated walkways, one with glass panels and another with a curved metal covering. The buildings have rough concrete and brick textures, with some windows and vents visible. Trees can be seen below.

A large concrete building with four storeys of horizontal windows, each floor lined with continuous glass panels. The structure has a tall, plain stairwell tower on the left and is surrounded by dense green foliage and some red-leaved bushes in front.

A tall, modern concrete building with narrow vertical windows and textured walls. The facade features glass panels with horizontal metal dividers. A transparent, curved canopy is in the foreground, and leafy branches appear on the right side.

Concrete steps with a metal railing lead to a glass entrance door framed in dark red, set in a modern concrete building. The wall on the right is textured. Large windows above reflect another building. A ramp runs beside the steps.

A low-angle view of a tall, grey concrete building with narrow, rectangular windows. Green leafy trees partially frame the lower right and left edges, and the sky is partly cloudy in the background.

Thom Building, Oxford, 2025

A large, square, concrete and glass building with multiple floors, seen from the front. It has many windows, a flat roof, and a central pole with lights in front. Trees and other buildings are visible on either side under a cloudy sky.

Metal exterior staircase with three flights and railings attached to a brick building. Yellow caution lines on the middle stairs. A blue bicycle and various equipment are underneath. Grass, trees, and a fence are on the left; pavement and a road are in front.

A rectangular sign reading “Department of Engineering Science” is mounted above large windows on a concrete and brick building. Metal barriers are visible in front of the entrance, and reflections can be seen in the upper windows.

A multi-storey modernist building with large, rectangular windows and concrete columns. The facade includes areas of dark brick. An outdoor metal stairway is visible on the left side. The sky is partly cloudy in the background.

Denys Wilkinson Building, Oxford, 2025

A modern concrete building with large windows sits next to an older brick building. A broad staircase with white railings leads up to the entrance. Several trees and a blue informational sign are visible, and the sky is partly cloudy.

A modern, multi-storey building with large glass windows and concrete walls stands beside a road. A street lamp is in front, green trees frame the right and top left, and a sign reads Banbury Road at the corner. The sky is overcast.

A large, modern building with angular, jutting concrete and glass structures. The lower level is textured concrete, while upper floors feature large dark glass windows. Two people walk on a pavement beside the building on a cloudy day.

Now offices, the tower used to house a vertical electrostatic accelerator – alas, my physics knowledge stops well short of knowing what one of those is. Designed by Philip Dowson of Arup.

De Breyne Building, Keble College, Oxford, 2025

A tall, fortified-looking building made of yellow-brown brick, with multiple vertical columns and narrow, slit-like windows. The geometry is angular and brutalist. The sky above is cloudy, and a bicycle is parked at the far left.

A narrow, empty street curves alongside modern brick buildings with distinctive vertical buttresses. On the left, a stone wall with blooming white flowers and leafy trees contrasts with the architecture. The sky is mostly cloudy, and a white van is visible in the distance.

A rectangular metal vent with horizontal slats is set into a weathered brown brick wall. The vent is framed by a concrete border, and a white vertical line runs up the wall and across the vent, dividing the image symmetrically.

If I knew it was listed, I’d have attempted to take better photos. There’s some photos of the other side of the building on manchesterhistory.net.

Dunelm House behind Kingsgate Bridge, Durham, 2023

A large, angular concrete pedestrian bridge crosses over a lush river, supported by V-shaped pillars. Behind it, a modernist grey building with angular rooftops sits among dense green trees under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

Sir Thomas White Building was an Arup design, which made me realise I never posted this – Kingsgate Bridge, the last structure designed by Ove Arup.