'Dramatic' UEA buildings may be listed

The pyramidal halls are being considered for Grade II* listing

Four pyramid-shaped concrete terraces at the University of East Anglia could be given listed status.

Student halls of residence, a library and teaching block are considered some of the most "powerful and dramatic" buildings to be found at universities built in the second half of the 20th Century, said heritage minister Andrew McIntosh.

He said the buildings, designed by architect Sir Denys Lasdun and built between 1964 and 1972, are of "national significance".

"They illustrate how post-war British architecture can be innovative and elegant, but also practical in its approach to design and living," he said.

Teaching Wall

"The best of post-war architecture deserves listing in the same way as their older counterparts."

He said two distinctive "Ziggurat" or pyramidal-shaped accommodation blocks, known as the Norfolk and Suffolk Terraces and built between 1964 and 1968, are proposed for Grade II* listing.

The library, completed in 1972, and Teaching Wall, completed in 1970, are proposed for Grade II listing.

The views of local residents and interest groups will be considered before a decision is taken.

'Grandfather of modernism'

Sir Denys, who also designed the Royal National Theatre on London's South Bank, was once dubbed the "grandfather of modernism" as his designs were largely in concrete.

A principal theme was the idea of buildings as urban landscapes formed from interlocking spaces and levels.

He died in January 2001, aged 86.

The Grade II listing of post-war buildings was part of an initiative launched by the government in 1995.