The Arts Tower Collection: Sheffield’s Miesian Masterpiece

For architecture critics, it is the most elegant university tower in Britain—a "Miesian" masterpiece of glass and steel that has dominated the Sheffield skyline since 1965. But for anyone who studied at the University of Sheffield, the Arts Tower is famous for one thing above all else: The Paternoster.

Housing the world's tallest surviving Paternoster lift, this Grade II* listed building is the source of endless campus folklore. From the thrill of hopping into the moving open compartments to the terrifying myth that you’d turn upside down if you rode it "over the top," it is an experience that defines student life in the Steel City.

Designed by Gollins, Melvin, Ward & Partners, the tower is a stunning example of the International Style. Standing 255 feet tall, it remains one of the tallest university buildings in the UK. Its sleek curtain wall facade and the famous "wind tunnel" at its base (which once forced the university to fill in the fountain plaza!) are legendary.

Whether you are an architecture purist who loves its clean lines, or a proud alum who survived the lift, this collection celebrates the undisputed icon of the Western Bank campus.

For all our Modernist buildings click HERE

For all our skyscrapers click HERE

For all our Sheffield buildings click HERE

For all our UK buildings click HERE

For all our buildings click HERE

The Arts Tower Collection: Sheffield’s Miesian Masterpiece

For architecture critics, it is the most elegant university tower in Britain—a "Miesian" masterpiece of glass and steel that has dominated the Sheffield skyline since 1965. But for anyone who studied at the University of Sheffield, the Arts Tower is famous for one thing above all else: The Paternoster.

Housing the world's tallest surviving Paternoster lift, this Grade II* listed building is the source of endless campus folklore. From the thrill of hopping into the moving open compartments to the terrifying myth that you’d turn upside down if you rode it "over the top," it is an experience that defines student life in the Steel City.

Designed by Gollins, Melvin, Ward & Partners, the tower is a stunning example of the International Style. Standing 255 feet tall, it remains one of the tallest university buildings in the UK. Its sleek curtain wall facade and the famous "wind tunnel" at its base (which once forced the university to fill in the fountain plaza!) are legendary.

Whether you are an architecture purist who loves its clean lines, or a proud alum who survived the lift, this collection celebrates the undisputed icon of the Western Bank campus.

For all our Modernist buildings click HERE

For all our skyscrapers click HERE

For all our Sheffield buildings click HERE

For all our UK buildings click HERE

For all our buildings click HERE

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