Divinity Faculty Building, Cambridge University, UK



Architect
Cullinan Studios
Date Built
2000
Location
Sidgwick Site, West Road
Description
The Divinity Faculty Building occupies a site in close proximity to James Stirling's History Faculty Building, Foster's Law Library and Casson & Condor's Raised Faculty Building on the Sidgwick Site of Cambridge University.  Cullinan Studios say that they were very aware of the context when designing this building.  "... The form of the building takes cues from its surroundings. The Divinity building extends the framing of the History Faculty building already implied by the Raised Faculty building and the Law Faculty. It does this by complementary but contrasting mass - hence the rotunda set against the square towers of the History building - and contrasting line and colour."



The building provides office space for lecturers and professors as well as common rooms, lecture and seminar rooms and a library.  The architects describe the library, that is housed in the rotunda, as, "... a wonderfully light and airy double-height circular library occupying the top floor and mezzanine. It provides plenty of well-lit reading spaces, including many around the perimeter with views over the Sidgwick campus."



Adding that, "... the building is made up of a series of alternating horizontal bands of cladding and windows, separated by sun-shading louvres."