Historic England Supports University of Sussex Plans for Listed Library

Historic England advisers worked closely with the University’s design team to help find a practical and creative design, which also respected the Falmer campus’s modernist architecture designed by Sir Basil Spence.

At the heart of the proposals by Keith Williams Architects is a new circular brick lift tower, which will better connect the main public space to the Library’s main entrance. A new, gently inclined ramp will create a link to the northern part of the campus.

Planning permission and listed building consent have recently been granted. Construction is expected to begin later this year.

The freestanding lift tower has been sensitively designed to complement the other Spence buildings on site, 8 of which are listed. Their monumental forms in local red brick, flint and concrete were officially recognised for their architectural and historic significance in the early 1990s.

The University Library was built between 1962 and 1971. As a Grade II* listed building, it is among the top 10% of England’s most significant historic places.

As the government's expert advisor on England's heritage, part of Historic England's role is to advise on development proposals affecting the historic environment. Historic England was involved in detailed discussions with the University of Sussex during the development of the plans alongside Brighton & Hove City Council.

Sir Basil Spence

The University of Sussex was 1 of 7 new universities built in England in the 1960s. Sussex was the first, and architect Sir Basil Spence was appointed in 1959 as his unique design for the new Coventry Cathedral was nearing completion.

During his career, Sir Basil Spence (1907 to 1976) was responsible for numerous churches, schools, housing schemes and especially university buildings, including the Erasmus Building at Queen’s College, Cambridge – the first modernist building on ‘the Backs’.

Other notable buildings by Spence are Coventry Cathedral (Grade I listed), Hyde Park Barracks in London, and the British Embassy in Rome. He was President of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) between 1958 and 1960.

Listed libraries

England is home to some of the world's greatest examples of library architecture. From the magnificent John Rylands Library in Manchester to the bold British Library in London, many are listed buildings.

There are 875 entries on the National Heritage List for England for libraries, including 97 Grade I, 109 Grade II*, and 669 Grade II listed buildings that were either built as libraries or used as a library in their history. They are often listed with other civic and educational buildings such as town halls, art galleries, universities or institutes.

Historic England has published research on the design and development of libraries, particularly public libraries.