OXFORD UNIVERSITY; UK
Though it’s the oldest university in the English-speaking world, there is no clear date of the foundation of Oxford University. However, teaching at the site has existed in some form since 1096. Its Bodleian Library, home to more than 12 million printed items, was one of the first in Europe and is second in size in the UK only to the British Library. Fun fact: the University of Oxford has produced over 30 UK prime ministers and countless Nobel laureates.
OLD LIBRARY, TRINITY COLLEGE; IRELAND
Built between 1712 and 1732, the Old Library at Trinity College Dublin is home to the Long Room, a beautiful 18th-century chamber lined with 200,000 of the library’s oldest books. Its many treasures include the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript of the four Gospels created by Scottish monks around AD 800 on the island of Iona – and is oneof the world’s most iconic medieval works. Other highlights include a rare copy of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic, and Ireland’s oldest harp, crafted from oak and willow in the 15th century and the inspiration behind the country’s national emblem.
UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND; AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND
Founded in 1883, the University of Auckland blends heritage and modern innovation in the heart of the city. Its landmark ClockTower, inspired by the iconic Tom Tower of Oxford University and completed in 1926, showcases architect Roy Lippincott’s neo-Gothic vision. Crafted from locally quarried stone and adorned with carvings of native flora, it’s a uniquely New Zealand interpretation of tradition. Surrounded by Albert Park’s greenery, the tower remains a proud symbol of learning and culture. The award-winning Hiwa recreation centre continues this legacy, its sculptural form and light-filled spaces celebrating creativity and connection while promoting wellbeing – embodying the university’s enduring commitment to excellence and evolution.
ROLEX LEARNING CENTER; SWITZERLAND
Designed by Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA, the Rolex Learning Center at EPFL in Lausanne is a masterpiece of flowing space and form. Its 37,000-square-metre design – which includes a half-a-million volumes-strong library – replaces traditional floors and walls with gently undulating concrete that mirrors the Swiss landscape – and some say, even Swiss cheese, with its perforated concrete and glass shell! Instead of stairs, visitors move through smooth rises and dips, or glide in ‘inclined elevators’ – transparent glass lifts adapted for the building’s unique terrain. Beneath its lifted form, open-air spaces merge seamlessly with the surrounding campus.
OTAGO UNIVERSITY; AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND
Our oldest university was founded in 1869, built by settlers from the Scottish Lowlands. The iconic Clocktower Building, completed in 1879 and modelled on Scotland’s University of Glasgow, rises from contrasting dark basalt and pale Ōamaru stone. Surrounding buildings such as the Archway, Geology, Marama and Allen Halls echo its Gothic Revival style, forming a picturesque quadrangle shaded by magnolia trees. Local materials like Leith Valley andesite, Port Chalmers bluestone and North Otago whitestone gave the campus its distinctive texture and colour palette, to help create the “Edinburgh of the South”.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO; USA
At just over 50 years old, University of California, San Diego is one of the younger major U.S. universities – yet it stands out for its bold architectural identity. From the early concrete work of Irving Gill at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to the dramatic footprint of Geisel Library and the array of Brutalist structures framing the campus, UCSD captures the evolution of modern architecture all in one place. Original master- planner Robert Alexander conceived 12 colleges arrayed along a grand pedestrian boulevard, inspired by Champs-Élysées in Paris. Though the full scheme was never realised, its ambitions still shaped the campus’s distinctive modernist character.
