We were delighted to work closely with contractors Cocksedge and Niall McLaughlin Architects on the prestigious West Court development at Jesus College, known for its award-winning architecture, and extensive grounds situated within the heart of historic Cambridge.
Commissioned in 2014, this was a particularly significant project for us as it was the one of the first occasions that we’ve been involved heavily in the design process, as well as supplying and fixing the stone specified by the University of Cambridge.
It’s always a challenge to combine modern and traditional design, especially in such a special environment. Stone from our quarries at Clipsham Medwells and Greetham was used to refresh West Court, which was looking a little outdated with its seventies-style architecture.
On the exterior walls we supplied vertical ribs of stone with a natural, rock-like finish, contrasting pleasingly with the building’s smooth ashlar brickwork. The internal staircase was clad with Greetham limestone treads and risers, also with rock-like edges.
More than 200 metres of once weathered copings were supplied throughout the main building and café terrace. We also installed fascia panels over the West Court entrance featuring the Jesus College crest, hand carved by our master stonemasons.
Our stone has brightened up West Court, which now looks impressive and modern while still harmonising with its historic surroundings.
Using a combination of machine and hand carving techniques has resulted in a classic finish, perfectly in keeping with the world-famous university.
The new development boasts facilities including a multi-functional auditorium equipped with the latest communications technology seating up to 180 delegates, a dedicated events space, a café with an outside terrace area, a basement bar and 27 luxury bedrooms available all year round.
Seeing a project through from start to finish is always incredibly satisfying: never more so than when we’re using the past to invest in the future and bringing the beauty of stone to buildings in our very finest cities.
Our West Court development has an outstanding selection of spaces and accommodation, suitable for a wide range of different uses. I would like to thank every person – both within the college and our external contractors – who has worked so hard to ensure we have such high quality facilities to complement our existing
buildings.
The West Court development will provide a home for academic symposia, conferences, lectures and debates to be used by the College community, conference guests and alumni. Of particular interest is the new Lecture Hall with cutting-edge AV, the hotel-standard bedrooms and the multi-use Webb Library with its stunning interior.
