Swansea University Campus

W front of Singleton Abbey

 

The campus of Swansea University contains an interesting array of buildings covering 200 years of architecture. The oldest structure, built-in 1784, is Singleton Abbey which was purchased in 1817 by John Vivian.  As owner of the copper smelting works at Hafod, his family provided Swansea with one of its main industries in the nineteenth century. Vivian altered the house in the 1820's so that it followed a Tudor neo classical style. Note the mullion and transom windows, the polygonal buttresses  and creatures scrabbling about on the gables.




Library 1937

In 1921 Singleton Abbey became the administrative centre of the then new University College. The first permanent university building was the library opened in 1937, made of brick with Portland stone. It has certain classical elements such as the cornice and frieze and the simple geometry of the windows. (It obviously lacks other classical features such as columns). 

 

Because of the war, work stopped on the campus and the next set of buildings were not constructed until the late 1950's. These include the Natural Science building, completed in 1961 and which is now  listed. Although moving further away from classicism it echoes the library in its shape and colours of the window surrounds and brickwork.

Designed by the same architectural firm of Percy Thomas the Fulton building is another grade II listed building. With large expanses of glazing it is built around a concrete frame and faced with brick.

 

Opened in 1984 the Taleisin  theatre and art gallery continues with the brick but the shape is polygonal and utilitarian. It was designed by Peter Moro who is famous for other theatres such as the Nottingham Playhouse.



Moro came to Britain from Germany and worked for 2 years under Berthold Lubetkin, a notable modernist architect. He went on to work on the Royal festival Hall and designed other theatres in Hull and Plymouth.