Leicester Engineering Department Building

Stirling & Gowan – University of Leicester, Engineering Building, Leicester-UK, 1959-1963

Inaugurated in 1963 it is considered one of the most architecturally important buildings of its era, the Engineering Building in Leicester is absolutely distinctive. One distinguishes between the older and newer parts of the campus, forming (with Attenborough's Tower and the Charles Wilson building) a third of the architectural triptych that defines the silhouette of the university.
The architects James Gowan and James Stirling, in addition to the engineer Frank Newby, have created a unique piece of modern architecture designed around the specific needs of the Engineering Department and the angle of the campus available.

At the top of the two cantilevered classrooms there are two joint towers containing laboratories and offices, whose design is inspired by the superstructure of an aircraft carrier. The rippled "waves" of the two large glass roofs, inclined at 45 degrees to the towers, face north to provide illumination without direct sunlight (which could affect delicate instruments).

There are actually two types of glass in the roof: translucent laminated glass with an inner layer of fiberglass and opaque aluminum-coated glass. The distinction between the two becomes evident only at night when the building is illuminated from within.
The walls of the building are constructed of Accrington red bricks and red Dutch tiles. At the top of the tallest tower there is a water tank to supply hydraulic pressure, while the corner of the shorter tower is curved to avoid the protruding part of Victoria Park.