Guide to Cambridge Buildings / Architects

Cambridge is famous for its old and distinguished University, but like its twin city Oxford it has masses of superb architecture, both historic and contemporary. Cambridge is set on the River Cam and many of the colleges back onto gardens along the river, called The Backs. This gives Cambridge a lot of its charm, but each college competes against the other to attain better and more beautiful buildings. Famous architects who have buildings here include Norman Foster, Leslie Martin and Ted Cullinan.

Ten Key Cambridge buildings (chronological):

1. Kings College Chapel
1446-1515
various architects / masons

2. Queens' College - Old Court & Cloister Court
1448-49; approx. 1450-1540
various architects

3. Emmanuel College - Chapel
1668-74
Christopher Wren, Architect

4. Downing College - Wilkins buildings
1807-20
William Wilkins, Architect

5. Fitzwilliam Museum
1837-41
George Basevi, Architect

6. St John's College - Cripps Building
1963-67
Powell & Moya Architects

7. Faculty of History
1964-68
James Stirling, Architect

8. Queens' College - Cripps Court
1972-80
Powell & Moya Architects

9. Robinson College
1977-80
Gillespie Kidd & Coia

10. Centre for Mathematical Sciences
2003
Edward Cullinan Architects

I'm sure there will be numerous other suggestions for this list - such as the first Cambridge college, Peterhouse, the Senate House or Trinity College's Great Court - but the list is weighted towards contemporary buildings and is merely a starting point.



Key Cambridge building recently completed:

Faculty of Education Cambridge
Hills Road
2005
Building Design Partnership

Cambridge building photo - from BDP Architects 2005
Building Design Partnership

Accordia Housing
Brooklands Avenue
2004-05
Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects

Housing south of Botanic Gardens: 212 houses, 166 apartments
Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects
with Maccreanor Lavington Architects + Alison Brooks Architects
first phase 2006; final phase 2010 : for Countryside Properties

Cambridge Architecture: complete alphabetical reference list without images

Key Cambridge architecture (alphabetical):

Arts Faculties Campus
University of Cambridge - Sidgwick Site
1959-61
Casson, Conder & Partners

Floating O-plan building above podium, homage to Le Corbusier. The latter is paved with a traditional grass court within, thus Modernism fuses with traditional Cambridge college design. The scale of the blocks and the columns is massive, detailing clean and materials still working many years on.

Cambridge University Department of Architecture Extension, Scroope Terrace
2007
Mole Architects

Cambridge School of Architecture

Christ's College - original building
South Court, St Andrew St
1505-11
-

South Court entry shown above. New Court, 1966-70, by Denys Lasdun Architect lies in the hinterland of Christ's College. Also by Sir Denys Lasdun - Fitzwilliam College building.

Churchill College - original buildings
Storey's Way
1959-68
Richard Sheppard, Robson & Partners

Plus recent buildings by Henning Larsen, Architect

Churchill College - Postgraduate Accommodation, off Storey's Way
2002
Cottrell & Vermeulen


Clare College - Memorial Court buildings
Memorial Court, off Queens' Road
1923-24; 1984-85
Giles Gilbert Scott; -

Near to Giles Gilbert Scott's Cambridge University Library.

Clare Hall buildings
1968
Ralph Erskine Architects

Institute of Criminology Building
University of Cambridge - Sidgwick Site
2005
Allies & Morrison

Cambridge building

Darwin College, Extension
off Silver St - The Backs
1994
Dixon Jones Architects


Downing College - Wilkins buildings
Regent St
1807-20
William Wilkins, architect

Major Greek Revival architecture, in terms of quality, novelty and quantity.
Plus recent buildings by Quinlan Terry, architect

Emmanuel College - Chapel
Front Court, off St Andrew's St
1674
Christopher Wren, Architect

Sir Christopher Wren also designed the Chapel at Pembroke College
Plus recent building by Michael Hopkins Architects

Faculty of Divinity Building
University of Cambridge - Sidgwick Site
2000
Edward Cullinan Architects

Unlike Ted Cullinan's St John's College Library this building feels a bit flimsy. Costing £8m and a winner of a RIBA Award the style is lightweight and softly innovative with plenty of layering from brise soleil and a light palette.
Edward Cullinan Architects

Faculty of Education
Building Design Partnership


Faculty of English Building
University of Cambridge - Sidgwick Site
2004
Allies & Morrison, Architects

Cambridge University building

Faculty of History (Library centre)
University of Cambridge - Sidgwick Site
1968
James Stirling, Architect

Controversial modern Cambridge building that had problems with overheating, leaks, falling tiles, etc. James Stirling had entered two architecture competitions in Cambridge with no joy, at Churchill College (1958) and Selwyn College (1959).
History Faculty Cambridge

Fitzwilliam College
Huntingdon Road
1960
Sir Denys Lasdun, Architect

Allies & Morrison completed the Fitzwilliam Gatehouse & Auditorium in 2004 and MacCormac Jamieson Architects and Van Heyningen & Haward have also designed buildings at this College.

Fitzwilliam Museum
Trumpington St
1841
George Basevi


Homerton College
Phase One Student Accommodation - RMJM Cambridge

Cambridge College building

Jesus College - old buildings
various college courts off Jesus Lane
various architects

Plus buildings by David Roberts, Architect and Evans & Shalev Architects
Cambridge College building

Judge Institute
Trumpington St
1991-95
John Outram, Architect; Executive architects – Fitzroy Robinson

Controversial postmodern architecture, clumsy inside, has dated badly

The Junction Nightclub & Theatre: The Shed
Clifton Rd, south Cambridge
-
-

There are three spaces at this venue - the timber-clad Junction theatre 'The Shed' is pictured above

Kaetsu Educational and Cultural Centre Building
Huntingdon Road
1995
Austin-Smith:Lord, Architects

Crisp white-rendered building on Huntingdon Road between Fitzwilliam and New Hall Colleges. In the form of a drum the entry slices through the solid revealing a glass cube in concept

Law Library, Cambridge University
Sidgwick Campus, 10 West Rd
1995
Foster & Partners

Nicknamed the 'Bread Bin' by Cambridge students this rather stark Foster building contains the 'relocated' Squire Law library with generous atrium, five auditoria and offices. Some users of the building initially complained about acoustics and many find the south facade (for one) overbearing and alienating. The Norman Foster library squares up to (with its point) the James Stirling library to the west: these are two buildings that are quite egotistical; one gets the feeling this building could have been anywhere.

Mathematical Sciences Centre
Maths Campus off Clarkson Rd, West Cambridge
2003
Edward Cullinan Architects


Michael Stoker Building
Herschel Road, by Clare Hall
-
-


New Hall College
off Huntingdon Road
1962-66
Chamberlin, Powell & Bon Architects

Cambridge college building

Our Lady and the English Martyrs
Catholic Church, Hills Road / Lensfield Road
1885-90
Dunn & Hansom


Queens' College - Old Court & Cloister Court
off Queen's Lane
1449; approx. 1540
various architects

Cambridge College building

Queens' College - Cripps Court
The Backs, off Silver St
1980
Powell & Moya Architects


Queens' College - Mathematical Bridge
River Cam, off Silver St
1749; rebuilt 1867 & 1902
W. Etheridge


Robinson College
Grange Rd, west Cambridge
1980
Gillespie Kidd & Coia

Cambridge building

'Round Church' - Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Bridge St
approx. 1140
architect unknown


St John's College - New Court
The Backs, off St John's St
1831
Rickman & Hutchison

Cambridge College building

St John's College - Bridge of Sighs
Third Court, The Backs, off St John's St
1831
Henry Hutchison


St John's College - Edward Cullinan building
Chapel Court, off St John's St
1994
Edward Cullinan Architects


St John's College - Cripps Building
The Backs, off Northampton St
1967
Powell & Moya Architects


Travel Lodge Hotel Cambridge
Cambridge Leisure Park, Clifton Way, off Hills Road
2003-04
Proctor Matthews, Architects

Cool modern on the outside but with fairly traditional bedrooms within. Pictured is the warm-coloured west facade; the east facade facing a generous new square is cool-coloured and styled differently

Laslett House
Clarkson Road
1957-59
Trevord Dannatt, Architect

Stunning house using first floor wraparound though one could argue the wraparound suggests a floating volume in true Modernist superstyle and when revealed to have a slightly recessed lump of solid below is a disappointment. The result is a piece of humble English modern architecture which fits perfectly into Cambridge, certainly not flamboyant. More Modern Houses

University Arms Hotel: Modern Building
Regent St, Parker's Piece
1965-66
Feilden & Mawson


William Gates Building for University of Cambridge
JJ Thomson Avenue off Madingley Road
1999-2001
RMJM Architects

Cambridge building photo - from RMJM Architects 2005
Cambridge Building
Part of the West Cambridge Masterplan, west of Clerk Maxwell Road.

Cambridge Architecture Photos:

Timber-framed house, Bridge St: 16th C.


Porters Lodge built over garage, West Cambridge


Town Centre building, Sidney St opposite Christ's College
Part of the shopping precinct on Petty Cury adjacent to Lion's Yard


Modern building, 9 Wilberforce Rd - Dora Cosens, 1937
More Modern Cambridge Architecture: see Trevor Dannatt's house under 'T'


King Street Housing


Bingo Hall, 1930 - Hobson St
Art Deco architecture - converted cinema opposite Christ's College


Key Public Spaces in the city - Cambridge Campuses, Squares & Parks:

The Backs:


Sidgwick Site:

View - James Stirling History Faculty, Allies & Morrison building beyond, Giles Gilbert Scott's Cambridge University Library tower in distance.

Fitzwilliam Museum - exterior

Henry Moore sculpture

Cambridge Architecture: buildings without photographs currently

Cambridge Buildings - Architecture Tour of the city on one page

Cambridge Architects - Alphabetical list of all featured designers

Cambridge Building Projects - News:

All Saints Church, Cambridge
2006
Barber Casanovas Ruffles Ltd

Peterhouse Ward Library, Cambridge
2006
Freeland Rees Roberts

Jesus College - New North Court, Cambridge
2006
Avanti Architects

St Catherine's College - Graduate Hostel
2006-
5th Studio Architects

Cambridge CB1 Scheme
Richard Rogers Architects designing a £725m masterplan for 25 acre Cambridge
railway station area - entitled the CB1 Scheme - for the Ashwell Property Group: flats, offices, hotels, public square, bus interchange, county heritage centre and shops.
Richard Rogers became famous with his designs for the Pompidou Centre, Paris and
once taught architecture in Cambridge.

Proposed Maggies Centre
Daniel Libeskind, Cambridge: proposed start was 2004; Charles Jencks in charge

Medical Research Laboratory
for Medical Research Council
Addenbrooke's Hospital, south Cabridge
2007-
RMJM Architects
£200m approx.

Useful Links re Cambridge Buildings:
The Martin Centre
6 Chaucer Rd, Cambridge CB2 2EB, UK
+44 (0)1223 331700

Cambridge University School of Architecture
Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture & History of Art,
University of Cambridge, 1-5 Scroope Terr, Cambridge CB2 1PX, UK
+44 (0)1223 332958
Cambridge School of Architecture - Website: www.arct.cam.ac.uk

Architect Leslie Martin was appointed to the first Chair of Architecture at Cambridge University in 1956, a position he held until his retirement in 1972.

Cambridge Houses

Cambridge Museum of Zoology architects : John McAslan + Partners

Schlumberger Research Centre : Cambridge building

Cambridge University Library architect : Giles Gilbert Scott

Architecture Competition
Contemporary Architects



World Architecture : e-architect - a guide to key buildings across the globe

Cambridge Building Photos © adrian welch

Girton College Library and Archive, Cambridge
Architect: Allies and Morrison
Client: Girton College
Cambridge college : RIBA Awards 2006 - East

Explore the historic buildings of Cambridge while staying in a UK timeshare. For information on timeshares for sale or to find out more about timeshare resales check us out. The United Kingdom is a beautiful country with so much to see and do.

Buildings / photos for the Cambridge Architecture pages welcome:
info@e-architect.co.uk

Cambridge Building : page - adrian welch / isabelle lomholt