Parkinson Building
Encyclopedia
The Parkinson Building is a grade II listed art deco
building and campanile
located at the University of Leeds
in the West Yorkshire
region of England
. The campanile is the highest point of the building and stands at 57 metres (187 ft) tall, making it the 17th tallest building in the city of Leeds.
The building is named after Frank Parkinson
, a major benefactor to the University of Leeds
who donated £200,000 towards to cost of the new building. The building construction started in 1938, however the outbreak of World War II
in 1939 halted building work, with construction resuming and finishing in 1951. The building was officially opened on 9 November 1951 by HRH the Princess Royal
, Chancellor of the university from 1951 to 1965.
A prominent landmark in Leeds
, the grade II listed tower can be seen for miles around the campus and from the M621
motorway some 12.1 miles from the site, and has become synonymous with the university itself with Leeds incorporating the clock tower into the university logo
in 2006.
architect
) and Thomas Geoffry Lucas
(an English
architect and Fellow
of the Royal Institute of British Architects
) whose works included the original Queen Elizabeth Hospital
in Birmingham
and St Bartholomew's Hospital, London
respectively.
Former student of the University of Leeds
, Frank Parkinson
who was a successful British
electrical engineer and businessman, most notable for early electric lighting installations viewed the plans for the new building, and in 1936 was so impressed with the plan he offered to pay £200,000 towards the costs of the entrance hall and clock tower.
Initial construction of the building began in 1938, with completion finishing 13 years later due to the outbreak of World War II
halting the work. The building was officially opened on 9 November 1951 by the then Chancellor of the University of Leeds
, HRH the Princess Royal
.
, which opened in 1936 alongside the rest of the university campus. The Brotherton Library currently holds the main collections for the arts, social sciences and law.
The Parkinson building is also home to the University of Leeds
Art Collection and Gallery, which is free to enter for the general public and displays an extensive array of paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, and photographs, along with temporary exhibitions from time to time. These collections also contribute to the holdings in the Brotherton Library
which compromise of William Shakespeare's
First Folio
(Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories. & Tragedies) published in 1623 and valued at around £15 million, manuscripts by Victorian Era
writers The Brontë sisters
and hundreds of letters to French
poet
, playwright
, novelist, essay
ist, visual artist, statesman
and human rights
activist, Victor Hugo
.
In May 2006, the university
began re-branding itself to bring together its visual identity to produce one consistent look. A new logo was produced (based on that used during the centenary celebrations in 2004), to replace the combined use of the modified university crest and the old Parkinson Building, which has been in use since 2004.
At present, the Parkinson Building houses a range of services for staff and students of the university whilst having collections available to the general public. The services operated in the building include The Stanley and Audrey Burton Art Gallery, Classics, Cleaning Services, Course Enquiries Office, History, Institute for Medieval Studies, Language Centre, Trade Union Offices, University Archives, Coffee Bars, Computing Clusters and Residential and Commercial Services.
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
building and campanile
Campanile
Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
located at the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
in the West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
region of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The campanile is the highest point of the building and stands at 57 metres (187 ft) tall, making it the 17th tallest building in the city of Leeds.
The building is named after Frank Parkinson
Frank Parkinson
Frank Parkinson was a British electrical engineer, most notable for early electric lighting installations, such as light bulbs and electric motors...
, a major benefactor to the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
who donated £200,000 towards to cost of the new building. The building construction started in 1938, however the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939 halted building work, with construction resuming and finishing in 1951. The building was officially opened on 9 November 1951 by HRH the Princess Royal
Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
The Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood was a member of the British Royal Family; she was the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the sixth holder of the title of Princess Royal...
, Chancellor of the university from 1951 to 1965.
A prominent landmark in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, the grade II listed tower can be seen for miles around the campus and from the M621
M621 motorway
The M621 motorway is a short loop of motorway in England that takes traffic into central Leeds between the M1 and M62 motorways. It is the second longest motorway in the United Kingdom to carry a three digit number although it carries more junctions than any other three digit motorway within the...
motorway some 12.1 miles from the site, and has become synonymous with the university itself with Leeds incorporating the clock tower into the university logo
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
in 2006.
History
The university approved plans for the new building early in the 20th century, which was designed by Thomas Arthur Lodge (a leading ScottishScottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
) and Thomas Geoffry Lucas
Thomas Geoffry Lucas
Thomas Geoffry Lucas , generally known as Geoffry Lucas, but often found incorrectly spelt as Geoffrey Lucas, was a 20th century English architect...
(an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
architect and Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of the Royal Institute of British Architects
Royal Institute of British Architects
The Royal Institute of British Architects is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally.-History:...
) whose works included the original Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Old Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
The original Queen Elizabeth Hospital is an NHS hospital in the Edgbaston area of Birmingham situated very close to the University of Birmingham...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and St Bartholomew's Hospital, London
St Bartholomew's Hospital
St Bartholomew's Hospital, also known as Barts, is a hospital in Smithfield in the City of London, England.-Early history:It was founded in 1123 by Raherus or Rahere , a favourite courtier of King Henry I...
respectively.
Former student of the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, Frank Parkinson
Frank Parkinson
Frank Parkinson was a British electrical engineer, most notable for early electric lighting installations, such as light bulbs and electric motors...
who was a successful British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
electrical engineer and businessman, most notable for early electric lighting installations viewed the plans for the new building, and in 1936 was so impressed with the plan he offered to pay £200,000 towards the costs of the entrance hall and clock tower.
Initial construction of the building began in 1938, with completion finishing 13 years later due to the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
halting the work. The building was officially opened on 9 November 1951 by the then Chancellor of the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, HRH the Princess Royal
Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood
The Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood was a member of the British Royal Family; she was the third child and only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the sixth holder of the title of Princess Royal...
.
Present day
Parkinson Court was refurbished in 2004, being restored to its former glory as an impressive gateway to the Brotherton LibraryBrotherton Library
The Brotherton Library is a 1936 Grade II listed Beaux-Arts building with some art deco fittings, located on the main campus of the University of Leeds...
, which opened in 1936 alongside the rest of the university campus. The Brotherton Library currently holds the main collections for the arts, social sciences and law.
The Parkinson building is also home to the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
Art Collection and Gallery, which is free to enter for the general public and displays an extensive array of paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, and photographs, along with temporary exhibitions from time to time. These collections also contribute to the holdings in the Brotherton Library
Edward Brotherton, 1st Baron Brotherton
Edward Allen Brotherton, 1st Baron Brotherton , known as Sir Edward Brotherton, Bt, between 1918 and 1929, was an industrialist in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England and a benefactor to the University of Leeds and other causes...
which compromise of William Shakespeare's
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
First Folio
First Folio
Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. is the 1623 published collection of William Shakespeare's plays. Modern scholars commonly refer to it as the First Folio....
(Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories. & Tragedies) published in 1623 and valued at around £15 million, manuscripts by Victorian Era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
writers The Brontë sisters
Brontë
The Brontës were a nineteenth-century literary family associated with Haworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. The sisters, Charlotte , Emily , and Anne , are well-known as poets and novelists...
and hundreds of letters to French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, novelist, essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
ist, visual artist, statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist, Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
.
In May 2006, the university
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
began re-branding itself to bring together its visual identity to produce one consistent look. A new logo was produced (based on that used during the centenary celebrations in 2004), to replace the combined use of the modified university crest and the old Parkinson Building, which has been in use since 2004.
At present, the Parkinson Building houses a range of services for staff and students of the university whilst having collections available to the general public. The services operated in the building include The Stanley and Audrey Burton Art Gallery, Classics, Cleaning Services, Course Enquiries Office, History, Institute for Medieval Studies, Language Centre, Trade Union Offices, University Archives, Coffee Bars, Computing Clusters and Residential and Commercial Services.