Ziggurats - University of East Anglia in Norwich. Too expensive to repair & too listed to demolish!
The Ziggurats, University of East Anglia – Norwich, Norfolk
These striking student halls, containing around 600 student rooms, were built between 1964 and 1968, designed by Sir Denys Lasdun, one of Britain’s leading modernist architects. Their bold stepped profile and modular layout were part of the brutalist movement — unapologetically geometric, concrete and ambitious. The terraces face south towards the UEA lake and were intended to give every room sunlight and a view.
Construction cost in the late 1960s was around £1.2 million, a major investment for the expanding university sector of that decade. Despite initial resistance to their appearance, they became admired as a landmark of post-war British architecture and were later granted Grade II* listing for their innovation in mass student housing.
In 2023, all accommodation inside the Ziggurats was closed until further notice, following government guidance on structural concerns surrounding RAAC – Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete. RAAC is a lightweight, bubbly concrete used widely in the 1960s–80s. It was quick and cheap to install, but its lifespan is often only 30–40 years, and it can fail without warning — especially when exposed to moisture. The problem has affected schools, hospitals, offices and universities across the UK, including UEA.
As the building is listed, any repairs or replacement materials must meet heritage requirements, making solutions complex and expensive. A design competition has now been launched to explore refurbishment or reuse options for the next 50 years — but no reopening date has been confirmed. For now, the Ziggurats remain unoccupied: a celebrated concrete vision awaiting its second life.
Ziggurats - University of East Anglia in Norwich. Too expensive to repair & too listed to demolish!
The Ziggurats, University of East Anglia – Norwich, Norfolk
These striking student halls, containing around 600 student rooms, were built between 1964 and 1968, designed by Sir Denys Lasdun, one of Britain’s leading modernist architects. Their bold stepped profile and modular layout were part of the brutalist movement — unapologetically geometric, concrete and ambitious. The terraces face south towards the UEA lake and were intended to give every room sunlight and a view.
Construction cost in the late 1960s was around £1.2 million, a major investment for the expanding university sector of that decade. Despite initial resistance to their appearance, they became admired as a landmark of post-war British architecture and were later granted Grade II* listing for their innovation in mass student housing.
In 2023, all accommodation inside the Ziggurats was closed until further notice, following government guidance on structural concerns surrounding RAAC – Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete. RAAC is a lightweight, bubbly concrete used widely in the 1960s–80s. It was quick and cheap to install, but its lifespan is often only 30–40 years, and it can fail without warning — especially when exposed to moisture. The problem has affected schools, hospitals, offices and universities across the UK, including UEA.
As the building is listed, any repairs or replacement materials must meet heritage requirements, making solutions complex and expensive. A design competition has now been launched to explore refurbishment or reuse options for the next 50 years — but no reopening date has been confirmed. For now, the Ziggurats remain unoccupied: a celebrated concrete vision awaiting its second life.