Wolfson Medical School images, University of Glasgow building photos, UoG facility location, Design award

Wolfson Medical School

University of Glasgow Building, Scotland design by Reiach and Hall Architects

post updated 16 December 2023

Wolfson Medical School photo by Gavin Fraser

Address: Faculty of Medicine, Wolfson Medical School Building, University Avenue, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ

Design: Reiach and Hall Architects

Wolfson Medical School Glasgow Building

Wolfson Medical School Building For The University Of Glasgow

Bcia Building Award 2004

University of Glasgow Wolfson Medical School Building

Oct 2004

Do you know that government spending on public buildings has increased by 60% in 4 years? Do you realise that the public sector is now the single largest client of the UK construction industry? Are you aware that across Government total capital budgets now stand at £32.4 billion for 2003/4? These words from CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) announced this year’s call for entries to the British Construction Industry Awards 2004 hosting the Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Awards 2004. The Prime Minister’s Award, since its inception in 1991, underlines the “Government’s commitment to ensuring that its building programme delivers a well designed, high quality environment for the 21st Century.”

Wolfson Medical School photos by Gavin Fraser

As one of only two projects in Scotland to win a Civic Trust Award earlier this year the Wolfson Medical School Building for the University of Glasgow by Reiach and Hall Architects became the only Scots architectural project to make it through to the shortlist for this year’s British Construction Industry’s ‘Building’ Award and the Prime Minister’s ‘Better Public Buildings Awards’ 2004.

Jon Rouse, Chief Executive of CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) said ‘We want to recognise and promote the raft of new and exciting public buildings coming through that function well, look great, and serve the real needs of people living in the surrounding neighbourhood.’

Out of a record 225 entries, the Wolfson Medical School Building yesterday evening won the British Construction Industry’s elite ‘Building Award 2004’. Now in its 17th year the BCIA awards are an “industry-wide scheme to recognise excellence in the overall design, construction and delivery of buildings and civil engineering projects.”

The ‘Building Award’ presented by Lord Falconer at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London takes the Wolfson Medical School Building to join national and international projects credited at the Gala Awards Dinner.

In June the judges visited the building and left saying that ‘The Wolfson demonstrates superbly how design for the education sector can be beautiful as well as functional. It has been created to allow for new methods of medical teaching, but also to provide a fitting landmark for Glasgow ‘s West End in the University’s 550th anniversary year.’

Following the Wolfson Medical School Building’s award announcement the judges went on to add that “the close knit building team are good friends after a challenging project and key members have all been reappointed for the next phase.” The next phase is a new Cancer Research Facility for the University of Glasgow and Cancer Research UK at the University’s Garscube Estate which has just recently secured planning permission.

Wolfson Medical School photos : Gavin Fraser

The judges added that the Medical School Building is seen as “An exemplary facility, nicely built and with a delighted client from the estates department to the professors. The building is entirely shaped to match the University’s revolutionary teaching method in which students have to solve “real” medical problems in a closely simulated hospital environment.” The Medical School Building “makes excellent use of what in Glasgow is called a “gusset” site – a wedge left at the corner of a diagonal street intersection.” An “unpretentious, one off, well considered building establishing a distinctive landmark for the Medical School’s new centre of excellence.”

Quite simply, the University of Glasgow’s Wolfson Medical School Building by Reiach and Hall Architects is merited as “A model of its kind.”

Wolfson Medical School Building information 29 Oct 2004

BCIA AWARDS: PRIME MINISTER’S AWARDS 2004 information added at base of this page

Wolfson Medical School : further information

Wolfson Medical School picture by Gavin Fraser