| Summary : A university hall of residence built in 1964-6 to designs by Christof Bon of the the architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, who were the master planners of the additions to the Leeds University campus in the 1960s. The Charles Morris Hall consists of three separate buildings linked by the high-level 'red' route walkway across the precinct, with two tall blocks for men flanking the walkway, described in the 1963 Development Plan report as a 'gateway' to the residential zone, and a lower rectangular range for women, also containing dining and common room facilities, beyond. The buildings are constructed of load-bearing Accrington brick in stretcher bond, with concrete detailing (now painted on the men's blocks), and hardwood windows. The red brick was designed to contrast with the concrete teaching buildings and also to serve as a reminder of the earlier terraces on the site. The original windows in the women's range are horizontally pivoted, whilst the replaced windows in the men's blocks are bottom opening. The blocks are now mixed male and female accommodation, with the former men's blocks known as Dobree House and Whetton House and the former women's block known as Mary Ogilvie House. |
More information : University Hall of Residence built in 1964-6 to designs by Christof Bon of the the architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon, who were the master planners of the additions to the Leeds University campus in the 1960s. The Charles Morris Hall consists of three separate buildings linked by the high-level 'red' route walkway across the precinct, with 2 tall blocks for men flanking the walkway, described in the 1963 Development Plan report as a `gateway' to the residential zone, and a lower rectangular range for women, also containing dining and common room facilities, beyond. The buildings are constructed of load-bearing Accrington brick in stretcher bond, with concrete detailing (now painted on the men's blocks), and hardwood windows. The original windows in the women's range are horizontally pivoted, whilst the replaced windows in the men's blocks are bottom opening.
The blocks are now mixed male and female accommodation, with the former men's blocks known as Dobree House and Whetton House and the former women's block known as Mary Ogilvie House.
The women's range (Mary Ogilvie) is 4 storeys in height at its west end, adjacent to Cromer Terrace, though the fall in land provides 7 storeys at its east end, and was designed to house 119 students. The long rectangular range has deep, overhanging concrete coping and a timber framed asymmetrical pitched roof incorporating dormer windows in the highest pitch facing southwards. The main elevations have slightly recessed, repetitive vertical bands of windows, with concrete spandrel panels between the larger study bedroom windows. Attached to the south side is a tall single-storey communal area with glazed curtain walling roofed with a concrete open terrace supported internally on concrete columns. Against its south side is an external concrete stair rising to the upper-level senior common room.
The plan form of the women's range was a hall of residence with shared communal facilities, including a dining hall, and small groups of rooms clustered round individual staircases. The upper 4 storeys accommodate the study bedrooms, and the lower part contains communal facilities and offices. The study bedrooms are planned as 5 `houses' with a 6th house at the eastern end containing the porter's lodge and administration. Each house has its own front door off the red route and internal curved winding staircase with metal balusters and handrails, lit by skylights, which continues down to the common room area. Each staircase landing on the upper floors gives access to mainly single rooms. At each narrow stair landing is one separate shower and w.c.. The topmost study bedrooms are two-tiered study bedrooms, with the sleeping areas at a mezzanine level in the attic space, sharing a w.c. between 2 rooms, accessed from both sides. The original vertical ladders have been replaced by modern timber staircases. The houses were designed to be independent living spaces, but in 1990 fire safety requirements led to the corridors being extended to create thoroughfares which link all the houses.
The communal area under the terrace was originally designed as one coherent space with different `rooms' defined by steps and balustrades, and the senior common room on a balcony. There are inserted metal railings and balustrades to prevent accidents on the numerous flights of steps and changes in levels. At the western end a large meeting room has been inserted at the same upper level as the senior common room.
The 2 identical men's blocks (Dobree and Whetton) are 7 storeys in height, and were designed to house 172 students. The rectangular blocks are designed on a north-south axis with rooms facing east or west. They have overhanging concrete coping, now painted white, and flat roofs with a central single pitch incorporating dormer windows. The pitched part of the roofs face in opposite directions on the 2 blocks. The side elevations are articulated by 3 projecting bays comprising a central brick pilaster with a vertical rows of windows to each side separated by concrete spandrel panels, now painted. The inner faces of the blocks, adjacent to the walkway have single vertical rows of windows, and the outer faces have central bays 3 windows wide, with concrete spandrel panels (now painted) separating the rows of windows.
Inside, staircases and lifts are situated adjacent to the walkway. The curved winding stairs are similar to those in the women's range. The floors have a short central corridor with 6 study bedrooms on either side terminating in a communal room with a cooking recess to 1 side and escape stairs to the other. On the first floors are a sub-warden's flat, with a warden's flat on the top floors. The study bedrooms are smaller than the women's range and so the hardwood desks are built-in. Originally the beds were designed to serve as a settees in the daytime with built-in lockers forming a backrest, but these have been replaced. Between each pair of rooms is a shared compartment with a w.c. and shower.
The area outside the 3 buildings which comprise Charles Morris Hall has hard landscaping beneath the walkway comprising low concrete walls with metal balustrading, and 2 flights of wide, shallow steps descending southwards. A long disabled ramp has been inserted on the east side of the southernmost steps. There is no particular designed soft landscaping.
The Charles Morris Hall was assessed for listing in 2008 following an application for the demolition of Mary Ogilvie Hall to make way for a new student halls. It did not meet the criteria for listing for the following reasons:
The overall appearance of the building is conventional, particularly in comparison to the commanding brutalist design of the neighbouring buildings.
The combining of a traditional hall of residence with a study bedroom type appears indecisive and suggests compromise rather than clarity of vision.
The individual staircase plan and communal areas of Mary Ogilvie House were not innovative, and the plan form has since been considerably altered by the opening up of long spine corridors linking what were originally small autonomous groups.
Although linked by a high-level concrete walkway to Chamberlin, Powell and Bon's brutalist teaching buildings to the east, the difference in appearance of Charles Morris Hall means that it does not contribute to the coherence of the Chancellors Court buildings, rather appearing as a largely unrelated appendage. (1)
The red brick was designed to contrast with the concrete teaching buildings and also to serve as a reminder of the earlier terraces on the site. (2-3) |