Engineering Building, Leicester, UK
Combining finesse and functionality for a uniquely sculptural building
Arup led the heritage and design work for the refurbishment of Stirling & Gowan’s hugely influential Engineering Building at the University of Leicester. This £19.5m project involved replacing the failing glazing of the workshop block and overhauling its building services equipment, all under the close scrutiny of various heritage stakeholders.
The project called for highly finessed detailing in all aspects of the design – from the complex three-dimensional junctions and node points in the glazing assembly, matching the slim framing lines of the original despite the addition of double-glazing, to the development of bespoke building services equipment to suit the building’s robust ‘engineering’ aesthetic.
We have subsequently been retained as Conservation Advisor for the Grade II* listed building, authoring a detailed Conservation Management Plan funded by the Getty Foundation. The plan was signed by the relevant university departments, along with Leicester City Council and the Twentieth Century Society, and has since been used (with our oversight) to guide various smaller projects to completion.
