University Building, Higher Education Interiors, Design, Architect, Photo, News, Developments

University Buildings : Tertiary Education Architecture

Major Contemporary Educational Architecture Projects from around the World

post updated 16 August 2023

Tertiary Education Buildings

We’ve selected what we feel are the key examples of University Buildings. We aim to include Tertiary Education buildings that are either of top quality or interesting, or ideally both.

We cover completed buildings, new building designs, architectural exhibitions and design competitions across the world. The focus is on contemporary Tertiary Education buildings but information on key traditional buildings is also welcome.

University Buildings : news + key projects (this page)

University Building Designs : A-G

University Building Developments : H-R

University Architecture : S-Z

University Buildings – Latest Additions

Higher Education Architecture News – latest additions to this page, arranged chronologically:

The Cairns Institute, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia – 20 Aug 2013
Design: Woods Bagot / RPA Architects

photograph : Scott Burrows
The Cairns Institute, a revolutionary education and research space, has opened. The design reflects the beautiful, tropical landscape of far North Queensland while also providing a contemporary teaching and research environment with the highest technological standards. Cradled on three sides by rain-forested slopes, the landscape setting was inherent to the idea of a tropical campus – drawing the rainforest into the campus, enriching the urban campus heart, and in turn stimulating thought leadership from the students.

DHWB University Building, Stuttgart, Germany – 11 Jul 2013
Design: 3XN

image from architect
3XN’s vision to create an open, inspiring and social learning environment for a new technical faculty wins competition with 25 entries. It is the ambition that the new building for the technical faculty of the German university Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW) is to be a lighthouse project for academic learning – an innovative and productive learning environment in which students, teachers and industry representatives can meet.

University College Ghent, Campus Schoonmeersen, Belgium
Design: SADAR + VUGA with LENS°ASS Architecten

image by architects
University College Ghent – 26 Apr 2012
SADAR + VUGA in collaboration with LENS°ASS Architecten participated in an invited competition of the Vlaams Bauwmeester Open Call 21. The competition called for three new buildings on the Campus Schoonmeersen of the University College Ghent, a building for the Study of Social Work (SOAG), a Sports Hall Extension and lastly the Renovation of Building B and adjoining Student Plaza. Among five invited participants SADAR + VUGA won first prize for the design of the three markers of the campus development masterplan.

Oeconomicum Düsseldorf, Germany
Design: Ingenhoven Architects

photograph : Hans Georg Esch
Oeconomicum University Building – added 1 Feb 2012
The site for the new Oeconomicum on the campus of the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf is located between the existing library and medical school and the university’s lake. The new building takes its form from the curve of the lake shore and with the surrounding buildings it defines a new square. The building can easily be extended.

Recent University Building Designs

Silesian University of Technology, Poland
Design: Zalewski Architecture Group

picture : Zalewski AG
Silesian University of Technology Building
The project of modernization and interior design of three lecture halls (A, B, C) at Silesian University of Technology, awarded with the 1st prize in the open architectural competition in 2007. The primary objective of the project was to create comfortable and modern interiors adequate for giving lectures. A auditorium is the largest (for 220 people) and a multi-functional one. Two others (B and C) can comprise 160 people. All three auditoriums are of similar décor but with individual interior design and differentiated by color of the interior – the colour code implied in the project is its key idea and it helps to identify the halls

Deakin University Building, Melbourne, Australia
Design: Woods Bagot

photo : Peter Bennetts
Deakin University Building
Located at the University’s Burwood campus, the new building boasts a 256 seat lecture theatre, foyer, two tutorial rooms, and student lounge and amenities. An extension to two existing lecture theatres and foyer, the new building now meets the future growth and timetabling requirements of the University.

School of Education Sciences, Seville, Spain
Design: Cruz y Ortiz Arquitectos

photo : Gonzalo Navarro
School of Education Sciences
This new building for the Faculty of Education at the University of Seville on the campus of Viapol will house up to 5,000 students nine degrees. Designed by spanish architects Cruz and Ortiz the key element is the long tall central courtyard space, criss-crossed by large ‘bridges’ angled on plan. Apparently the relationship between architect and Client was not smooth and the contract with the architects and surveyors was terminated prior to completion.

University Buildings: New Architecture

Key University Building & Educational Architecture Developments, alphabetical:

Århus University buildings, Denmark
Arkitektfirmaet C. F. Møller

picture © Adrian Welch
Aarhus University buildings

Biokatalyse Building Graz, Austria
Ernst Giselbrecht + Partner

photo © Paul Ott
Technical University Graz

Cambridge University School, England
Mole Architects

photograph : David Butler
Cambridge School of Architecture

Churchill College Buildings, England
Richard Sheppard, Robson & Partners

photo © Adrian Welch
Churchill College Buildings

City of Westminster College, UK
schmidt hammer lassen

image from architect
City of Westminster College

Columbia University Extension, USA
Design: Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) / SOM

picture from Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Columbia University Manhattan

Cornell University Architecture School, US
Office for Metropolitan Architecture

photo : OMA
Cornell University School of Architecture

Danube University Krems, Austria
Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes

photo : Barbara Feichtinger
Danube University Krems

Faculty of History, England
James Stirling Architect

picture © Adrian Welch
History Faculty Cambridge

Harvard Graduate Residence, USA
Kyu Sung Woo Architects

image © Timothy Hursley, The Arkansas Office
Harvard University Graduate Residence

Jubilee Campus extension, England
Make Architects

photograph : Zander Olsen
Jubilee Campus extension

McGill University Building, Canada
Saucier + Perrotte

photo : Marc Cramer
Schulich School of Music

Newcastle College, UK
RMJM Architects

image © Chris Gascoigne
Newcastle College

North London University, UK
Daniel Libeskind Architects

photograph © Nick Weall
North London University Building

Petronas University, Malaysia
Foster & Partners with GDP Architects

photo : Nigel Young_Foster + Partners
Petronas University Building

Princeton University Arts Buildings, USA
Design: Steven Holl Architects

image : Princeton University
Princeton Building

Ravensbourne College building, UK
Design: Foreign Office Architects

picture from architects
Ravensbourne College

Universite Feminine d’Ewha, Korea
Dominique Perrault

picture from Dominique Perrault
South Korea University building

Zollverein School, Germany
SANAA : Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa

image from SANAA
Zollverein School Essen

More University Architecture + College Building projects online soon

Architectural Designs

College Buildings

Australian University Buildings

Princeton University – Design Arts Buildings, New Jersey, USA
Design: Steven Holl Architects
Princeton Building

More Education Development projects welcome

Atlantic College Wales : Architecture competition win

Northwestern University building : Evanston campus

Buildings / photos for the Contemporary University Architecture page welcome