Engineering Building, University of Leicester – Miniature Concrete Model

Model 078_Engineering Building, University of Leicester – Miniature Concrete Model
Hand-cast in fine concrete. Shaped by memory.

Some buildings feel like a turning point in architectural history.
The Engineering Building at the University of Leicester is one of them.

Designed by James Stirling and James Gowan and completed in 1963, this radical complex on University Road brought a new energy into post-war British modernism. A tower of labs and offices in red brick and tiles rises beside a low workshop hall, its faceted glass roof twisting at 45 degrees to the plan like a field of industrial prisms.

The building is now Grade II* listed and widely recognised as one of the most important works of late modern architecture in Britain, often described as the first step from high Brutalism towards a more individual, proto-postmodern language. Its jagged rooflights, chamfered tower and “red trilogy” palette have inspired generations of students, architects and photographers who come to see how far a faculty building can go.

I was drawn to the Leicester Engineering Building for its sense of controlled chaos: all those saw-tooth roofs, angled towers and red-clad planes held together in a single, confident composition. Modelling it meant really studying how the tower locks into the lower block, and how the roof geometry cuts across the plan. I worked through several digital iterations to balance the mass of the tower with a simplified fragment of the workshop hall, then refined the casting so the model still catches light in that same sharp, faceted way.

A small concrete fragment of a building that helped change the direction of modern architecture.

Features
• Solid cast concrete, individually hand-poured
• 6cm high, 9cm wide, 7cm 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 or taught in Leicester, fallen for Stirling’s “red trilogy”, or loves the experimental edge of Brutalist architecture. It sits easily on a desk, shelf or studio table and keeps a piece of that zigzag roof and red-brick tower close at hand, as a reminder of how bold a university building can be.

15% off when you order two or more models

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

Building Information

Location: Leicester, United Kingdom
Architect: James Stirling & James Gowan
Completed: 1959–1963 (officially opened 1963)
Status: Grade II* listed university engineering building

Brief Overview:
Commissioned shortly after the University of Leicester received its Royal Charter, the Engineering Building brought together workshops, laboratories, lecture theatres and offices in a single expressive composition. A low hall of engineering workshops with a dramatic zigzag glass roof is anchored by a red-tiled tower of teaching spaces, its prismatic form and water tank crowning the campus edge beside Victoria Park. Frequently cited as one of the great post-war British buildings, it forms the first part of Stirling’s “red trilogy” and remains a key reference point in discussions of Brutalism and the emergence of postmodern 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