Dunelm House, University of Durham

Introduction

The photograph on this page of Dunelm House, University of Durham by David Purchase as part of the Geograph project.

The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

There are currently over 7.5m images from over 14,400 individuals and you can help contribute to the project by visiting https://www.geograph.org.uk

Dunelm House, University of Durham

Image: © David Purchase Taken: 4 Sep 1967

Dunelm House opened in 1966 (the year before this photo was taken) and houses the Durham Students' Union. It must then have been one of the largest students' union buildings in the country. Opinions tended to be Marmite-like: you either loved it or hated it. (My own view, for what it is worth, is that it is hardly a thing of beauty, but as brutalist buildings go it is one of the best-designed and interesting of them.) Access from the cathedral and older parts of the university is by the splendid Kingsgate footbridge, seen here high above the River Wear (see also Image). Fifty years later the University sought permission to demolish it, partly because it was too small(!). The debate rumbled on for five years, but in 2021 Dunelm House was listed Grade II and so saved.

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