University of East Anglia

The University of East Anglia stands on a 150-hectare campus west of Norwich city centre. The site once formed part of the Earlham Hall estate and included a golf course before Denys Lasdun designed the first buildings. His 460-metre-long concrete teaching block follows the land’s contours and is linked by a raised walkway. Six terraced accommodation blocks, known as the Ziggurats, sit beside the walkway and resemble vineyards or rocky slopes. Later, Bernard Feilden added the library and an arena-shaped social space that now has listed status. The campus also hosts the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, designed by Norman Foster and Wendy Cheesman. UEA is recognised as one of the nation’s most-cited research institutions worldwide. It belongs to Norwich Research Park, home to major research institutes in genomics, health and the environment. The university’s creative writing programme, founded in 1971 by Malcolm Bradbury and Angus Wilson, has produced many successful authors. UEA’s alumni include three Nobel laureates, a co-discoverer of hepatitis C and D genomes, and the co-inventor of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The Climatic Research Unit, led by Hubert Lamb, became a leading centre for climate studies. The university also supports a student-run television service and a long-running student newspaper. Visitors walk along the raised walkway beside the teaching block and see the Ziggurats’ stepped terraces. The Square offers a central meeting place with cafes and open space. The Sainsbury Centre displays tribal art, paintings and sculptures in a light-filled hall. The UEA Broad, created from gravel extraction, provides a waterside setting beside the River Yare. Earlham Hall, dating from the 16th century, houses the Law School and stands within the campus grounds. The site combines modern architecture with landscaped areas and water features, offering a quiet place to explore.