Queens' College, Cambridge, southeast England

Old Court & Cloister Court off Queen's Lane 1448-49; approx. 1450-1540 various architects photo © Adrian Welch President's Gallery (app.1540) of Cloister Court shown above, rambling half-timbered building that oozes charm and old Cambridge memories. Cripps Court The Backs, off Silver St 1972-80 Powell & Moya Architects photo © Adrian Welch This is a masterful piece of Cambridge architecture, using the same crisp white articulation of facades as their St John's College buildings. Like Casson & Conder's Sidgwick building Powell & Moya have set accommodation above the pedestrian a la Le Corbusier. The winning formula here is to use a raised grass court with focal mature tree and good quality materials and detailing. Some of the lead detailing looks hard to maintain and friendly to pigeons but the court is so memorable this is to be overlooked. An attempt to continue the Powell & Moya architecture to the west was undertaken by current Cambridge architects, Bland, Brown & Cole in 1989 - Queens' College Lyon Court - but despite a striking roof and a clear attempt to be contextual the quality does not quite match. Mathematical BridgeRiver Cam, off Silver St 1749; rebuilt 1867 & 1902 W. Etheridge photo © Adrian Welch This view of the Cambridge Mathematical Bridge was taken from the Silver Street bridge by Edwin Lutyens; we have two Edwin Lutyens houses on our site - in Scotland. But Lutyens also completed Benson Court at Magdalene College (1930-32) at the other end of the town from Queens' College. Architect Basil Spence completed his only Cambridge building - the Erasmus building - 1959-60 at Queens' College.