Norfolk Terrace and Suffolk Terrace - 'the Ziggurats'
Norfolk Terrace and Suffolk Terrace (the Ziggurats) teaching wall and library
University of East Anglia, Norwich
1964–8
Denys Lasdun and Partners
Listed grade II* (ziggurats) and grade II, 16 October 2003
Lasdun was commissioned in 1962 to produce a master plan and the first buildings for this new university, the third after Sussex had opened the way for new foundations. A large site was chosen alongside the River Yare, from which a lake was formed only in 1975–7. Lasdun was determined to preserve this open landscape, and placed his buildings where the valley starts to rise.
Lasdun’s aim, like that of Chamberlin at Leeds, was for a ‘five-minute university’ with departmental buildings and residential accommodation close together. He thus proposed a long teaching spine flanked by students’ flats, with a library in a central green ‘dry dock’, all linked by high-level walkways. The cranked spine also symbolised the links between subject areas where academic research was concentrating in the 1960s. The concrete construction combined in situ work with panels precision-cast on site, in situ service towers projecting from Lasdun’s distinctive, crisply finished and very long horizontals.
Flats for students were cheaper than traditional halls and recognised as more progressive, with 12 students sharing a kitchen/diner and creating a supportive social grouping equivalent to that of the Oxbridge staircase. Each flat is set back and partially lowered so that its sill level meets the roof of the flat below. This stepped section and continuous profile, with each elevation at 90 degrees to the next, has led to the terraces becoming known as the Ziggurats. Only two lines of ziggurats were completed before Lasdun’s contract was terminated in 1968, but they remain the boldest architecture of any new university.
Since the listing the library has been extended, and the university continues to expand.
This was first published in 'England's Post-War Listed Buildings' by Elain Harwood and James O. Davies. Read a review of the book and interview with Elain Harwood here.
Read other extracts from the book:
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
The UK's Modern Industrial Strategy: A 10 year plan
Previous consultation criticism, current key elements and general support with some persisting reservations.
Building Safety Regulator reforms
New roles, new staff and a new fast track service pave the way for a single construction regulator.
Architectural Technologist CPDs and Communications
CIAT CPD… and how you can do it!
Cooling centres and cool spaces
Managing extreme heat in cities by directing the public to places for heat stress relief and water sources.
Winter gardens: A brief history and warm variations
Extending the season with glass in different forms and terms.
Restoring Great Yarmouth's Winter Gardens
Transforming one of the least sustainable constructions imaginable.
Construction Skills Mission Board launch sector drive
Newly formed government and industry collaboration set strategy for recruiting an additional 100,000 construction workers a year.
New Architects Code comes into effect in September 2025
ARB Architects Code of Conduct and Practice available with ongoing consultation regarding guidance.
Welsh Skills Body (Medr) launches ambitious plan
The new skills body brings together funding and regulation of tertiary education and research for the devolved nation.
Paul Gandy FCIOB announced as next CIOB President
Former Tilbury Douglas CEO takes helm.
UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy. In brief with reactions
With the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority (NISTA).
Ebenezer Howard: inventor of the garden city. Book review.
The Grenfell Tower fire, eight years on
A time to pause and reflect as Dubai tower block fire reported just before anniversary.
Airtightness Topic Guide BSRIA TG 27/2025
Explaining the basics of airtightness, what it is, why it's important, when it's required and how it's carried out.
Construction contract awards hit lowest point of 2025
Plummeting for second consecutive month, intensifying concerns for housing and infrastructure goals.
Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025
Examining the state of mental health in construction, shedding light on levels of stress, anxiety and depression.