The 10 Most Spectacular University Buildings in the World

Emporis, the Hamburg-based architectural data company recently released its list of the 10 most spectacular university buildings in the work. Citing these constructions as being lecture halls with dizzying heights, crooked seminar rooms and libraries with glass-domed roofs, Emporis points out that the old days of cold, brick walls with yellowed windows and fading paint that used to be associated with the hallowed halls of learning are swiftly becoming a thing of the past.

The List of the 10 Most Spectacular University Buildings

In no particular order, here is the Emporis list:

1. Philologische Bibliothek – Germany
2. Lomonosov Moscow State University Main Building – Moscow
3. Bradfield Hall – USA
4. Campus Luigi Einaudi – Italy
5. Graduate Center – UK
6. Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower – Japan

1. Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre – Hong Kong
2. Sharp Centre for Design – Canada
3. Swanston Academic Building – Australia
4. Universiteitsbibliotheek – Belgium

All of the buildings that are presented on the list consist of a wide variety of structures ranging from the more traditional to the futuristic in terms of design, style and function. Each of these structures has remarkable, distinguishing features that helps set it apart from the skyline and create instant identification as well.

Of the 10 buildings that are listed, one of the most remarkable is the Swanston Academic Building which instantly catches the eye thanks to the jagged and wavy façade while the Lomonosov Moscow State University Main Building is the world’s tallest topping out at a remarkable 240 meters.

Other spectacular entries include Bradfield Hall located at Cornell University in the United States which is distinguished by the fact that it hardly has any windows. These representatives of a list of buildings that span around the world have in common the ability to create wonder and respect for the imaginative structure that they have.

The Changing of the Guard

Universities tend to grow in spurts instead of gradually over time. Many of the older university buildings of the 1960s and 1970s that feature the classic “chunky” design are being torn down today and replaced with new, modern buildings that feature the latest in examples of great architecture.

One example was the demolition of the old AfE-Turm building in Frankfort am Main in Germany. This very large structure was the Europe’s biggest inner-city controlled blasting ever to remove this building. Around the world, universities are looking into their budgets and tapping into new resources along with government institutions to create new, more interesting and exciting building to replace the stodgy, older ones on campuses.

This new movement towards using more dramatic designs has caused a revolution on university campuses that now are taking bold, new steps towards shedding their old images and creating a place where learning seems fresh and new. Given the changes in the modern world, we should expect to see more new, interesting architectural designs on university campuses that combine function with beauty, style and grace generally reserved for other types of buildings. Currently, there is no end to this trend in sight which means that more university structures may make this particular list in the near future.