New School Centres for The University of Sussex, Brighton, West Sussex

The main university campus was designed by Sir Basil Spence, and constructed in the early 1960’s using a combination of reinforced concrete and brick to create a series of massive buildings within the parkland landscape setting. Over the years a number of additions have been made to the Spence master plan; however, many have been of poor quality. In an attempt to redress the balance, and as a response to possessing the country’s largest collection of post war listed buildings, the University held a competition for the design of a series of new school centres. The new schools were formed by a re-organisation of the University’s teaching structure.

John Pardey won the competition and this is the first school centre to go on site. Each building is a pavilion, with covered walkways or loggias, connecting the various elements. All are framed with slender steel sections and clad in glass so as to contrast with the existing Spence buildings. High ceilings and double height spaces are a feature in all of the new buildings, with timber cladding being used as an external wall material. Fair faced reinforced concrete monoliths in various colours are used to give each school its own identity.

Architect John Pardey Architects