HAND-CAST IN SOLID CONCRETE WITH CARE BY SPACEPLAY
Arts Tower, Sheffield – Miniature Concrete Model
Arts Tower, Sheffield – Miniature Concrete Model
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Model 073_Arts Tower, Sheffield – Miniature Concrete Model
Hand-cast in fine concrete. Shaped by memory.
Some towers feel like they hold a whole city’s confidence.
The Arts Tower on Western Bank is one of them.
Completed in 1965 for the University of Sheffield, this 20-storey modernist landmark by Gollins, Melvin, Ward & Partners rises from a ring of concrete piers into a sheer grid of glass and steel. It was the tallest building in Sheffield for decades and is still the tallest university building in the UK.
Linked to Western Bank Library by a raised bridge, the tower has become a quiet icon of post-war higher education: cool, rectilinear, almost impossibly precise. Inside, its famous paternoster lift still loops students and staff through the floors, a moving reminder of how future-facing this campus once felt.
I have always loved the way this building balances elegance and grit. Translating that into concrete meant chasing its proportions very carefully, so the stepped podium, slender shaft and recessed ground floor feel right from every angle. I worked through several digital iterations to get the rhythm of the facade grid and the massing of the base to sit together, then refined the cast so the tower reads as a calm vertical stripe in your hand, much like it does on the Sheffield skyline.
A small cast of a modernist tower that has watched over generations of students.
Features
• Solid cast concrete, individually hand-poured
• 95cm high, 60cm wide, 45cm deep (approx)
• Laser-etched cork base with building name
• Comes gift-boxed for the perfect concrete gift
• Designed, modelled, and finished in the UK
This model is for anyone who feels a pull towards Sheffield’s skyline: architects, graduates of the University, lovers of modernist towers, or locals who navigate by that slim rectangle on the hill. It sits easily on a desk, shelf or studio window ledge, bringing a little of Western Bank’s light and order into everyday life.
15% off when you order two or more models
EU customers: please order via my Etsy shop due to customs regulations
Building Information
Location: Western Bank, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Architect: Gollins, Melvin, Ward & Partners
Completed: 1965 (officially opened 1966)
Status: Grade II* listed, in use as a university, housing the School of Architecture
Brief Overview:
The Arts Tower forms the vertical counterpoint to Western Bank Library, both designed by Gollins, Melvin, Ward & Partners as a paired composition for the expanding University of Sheffield campus. Built between 1961 and 1965, the fully glazed tower rises from sixteen exposed concrete columns, its rectilinear form often compared to Miesian skyscrapers like the Seagram Building. Inside, it contains one of the largest surviving paternoster lifts in Europe. English Heritage once described it as one of the most elegant university towers of its time, and it remains a key landmark in Sheffield’s modern architecture.
Please note:
ALL EU ORDERS processed through our Etsy Store HERE
My concrete sculptures are individually hand cast in solid concrete. This means that each piece will have distinctive markings and minor blemishes due to air bubbles in the concrete. This is a natural part of the material and will mean that no two pieces are ever exactly the same.
Shipping:
I aim to make and ship your artwork within 30 days. If you require your order by a specific date before this please let me know.
Express shipping options at checkout for additional costs
Materials
Materials
My concete models are all made using a fine grain quickset cement with a polymer additive. This gives a good balance between strength and detail casting. However concrete is a brittle material so the models are delicate and can break with impact.
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
Free standard shipping on all UK orders.
We aim to ship within 30 days but priority shipping can be purchased if you require faster delivery.
You can cancel or return you order at any time. Once I receive the product back undamaged you will receive a full refund (excluding postage).
I do not refund damaged parcels. If your order arrives damaged please contact me immediately to arrange for a replacement.
Care Instructions
Care Instructions
Concrete is a brittle material so these models are delicate objects. They can be chipped or cracked easily and need to be protected from knocks or falls.
My concrete mix is also not waterproof so you should protected your model from damp and moisture.
Extreme changes in temperature will cause expansion and contraction inside the concrete model potentially leading to cracks forming. Keep your model out of direct sunlight and away from heating systems.
