Murray Edwards College, Cambridge – Miniature Concrete Model

Model 075_Murray Edwards College, Cambridge – Miniature Concrete Model
Hand-cast in fine concrete. Shaped by memory.

Some places feel like a quiet revolution in built form.
Murray Edwards College in Cambridge is one of them.

Founded in 1954 as New Hall to open Cambridge to more women students, the college moved to its Huntingdon Road site in the mid 1960s. The new buildings, designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, create a modernist campus of curved concrete, pale brick and deep lawns, gathered around the famous Dome and Fountain Court. The ensemble is now Grade II* listed as one of the most important post-war college designs in Britain. 

The architecture feels both strong and gentle. Fair-faced brick, bush hammered concrete ceilings and that extraordinary ribbed dining hall dome sit with generous gardens and water, framing a college that is still a home for women today. Inside and out, the buildings house the Women’s Art Collection, one of the largest collections of art by women in Europe, so the concrete courts double as a gallery as you walk. 

I was drawn to Murray Edwards because of that balance: hard materials holding space for care, art and study. To model it, I focused on the relationship between the Dome and Fountain Court, and the way the accommodation blocks step and turn around the landscape. I worked through multiple digital versions to capture the soft curves of the dome against the crisp geometry of the court, then refined the casting so the play of light across those surfaces still reads at this smaller scale.

A small concrete fragment of a college built around women, art and modern architecture.

Features
• Solid cast concrete, individually hand-poured
• Xcm high, Xcm wide, Xcm 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 has studied, worked or stayed at Murray Edwards, or who loves the quietly radical side of Cambridge architecture. It fits easily on a desk, shelf or studio windowsill, keeping a piece of the Dome, the courts and the college’s story close at hand.

15% off when you order two or more models

EU customers: please order via my Etsy shop due to customs regulations

Building Information

Location: Cambridge, United Kingdom 
Architect: Chamberlin, Powell and Bon
Completed: 1964–1965
Status: Grade II* listed women’s college, in active

Brief Overview:
Murray Edwards College, originally founded as New Hall, was created to increase opportunities for women at Cambridge and moved to its purpose-built site on Huntingdon Road in the 1960s. Chamberlin, Powell and Bon arranged the college as a series of low, interconnected blocks framing gardens, courts and the distinctive domed dining hall, with Fountain Court and its water channels at the heart. The ensemble is recognised as a key work of post-war modern architecture in Cambridge and, together with the Women’s Art Collection, gives the college a unique cultural and architectural character.

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