Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge

A quintessential example of collaboration between architect Lord Norman Foster and structural engineer Anthony Hunt, the David Williams Building at the University of Cambridge houses the largest law school in the UK. The primary design challenge was to accommodate an institution of such scale while minimising the building’s apparent size and respecting the university’s distinctive garden setting.

The most striking feature is the full-height atrium, devised to maximise natural light. This was made possible by a signature high-tech lattice truss structure, engineered by Anthony Hunt Associates, with OPS Managing Director Mike Otlet playing a key role in its development. Within the building’s lightweight shell, long-span structures support five auditoriums, seminar and common rooms, administrative offices, and the Squire Law Library, which houses more than 180,000 volumes of legal works.

Client: University of Cambridge

Location: Cambridge, UK

Architect: Foster + Partners

Structural Engineer: Anthony Hunt Associates (Mike Otlet)

Completed: 1995