Old Court & Cloister Court
off Queen's Lane
1448-49; approx. 1450-1540
various architects

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

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

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.



Another Cambridge building by Powell & Moya:

St John's College - Cripps Building
The Backs, off Northampton St
1963-67
Powell & Moya Architects


Queens' College - Erasmus building
Basil Spence completed his only Cambridge building - the stark, rectilinear Erasmus building - 1959-60 on the Backs at this historic Cambridge college.

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Queen's College Cambridge: Photos © adrian welch 2005

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