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Tyne And Wear, Newcastle Upon Tyne, University Of Newcastle, Physics Building
Faculty Building (20th Century)
Site Name Tyne And Wear, Newcastle Upon Tyne, University Of Newcastle, Physics Building
Classification Faculty Building (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Herschel Building; Durham University; King's College
Canmore ID 289144
Site Number NZ26SW 3
NGR NZ 2468 6486
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/289144
- Council Not Applicable
- Parish Not Applicable
- Former Region Not Applicable
- Former District Not Applicable
- Former County Not Applicable
Building Notes
In 1956 Basil Spence and Partners was commissed to design a new Physics Building for Durham University. The building formed part of the University's King's College and was located on their campus in Newcastle upon Tyne.
In order to meet the University's financial restrictions, the building was planned and built as a phased development. In the centre of the site, a six-storey teaching block was erected. This was followed to the north by a three-storey and basement research block which was linked to the former by a service stairway and lift shaft. At the lower end of the site, a wedge shaped auditorium was added, projecting from the teaching block's south gable. The buildings were constructed from reinforced concrete and finished with a variety of materials including glass, slate and limestone, as well as the brown Welsh brick which already featured in a number of the College's buildings.
The new Physics Building was officially opened on 16 March 1962. The following year King's College became the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and today the Physics Building, named the Herschel Building, houses the University's Schools of Chemical Engineering and Applied Materials, and Natural Sciences, as well as providing conference and lecture suites.
Geoffrey Clarke designed the cast aluminium sculpture, which sits at the main entrance to the building.
Archive Details and Summary
The Sir Basil Spence Archive holds two manuscript files, three drawings and one photograph for this project. Amongst the manuscript material there are papers which relate to other work that the practice carried out for Durham University. This included the design of St Aidan's College in Durham and a new geology building which was designed for the Newcastle campus by Spence Glover & Ferguson, Spence's Edinburgh-based practice.
The Spence, Glover and Ferguson Collection, also held at RCAHMS, contains 447 drawings, 136 photographs and 78 colour slides for the Physics Building. There are also 195 drawings for the Geology Building.
This text was written as one of the outputs of the Sir Basil Spence Archive Project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, 2005-08.
