Hicks Building
Encyclopedia
The Hicks Building is a building in the city of Sheffield
, South Yorkshire
, England
, part of the University of Sheffield
. It is named in honour after William Mitchinson Hicks
.
The building houses the departments of Physics
and Astronomy
, the Chemistry
and Physics
Workshop (formally known as the Central Mechanical Workshops) and the School of Mathematics
and Statistics
, which comprises the departments of Probability
and Statistics
, Applied Mathematics
and Pure Mathematics
.
It is in three sections: a taller building, with a roof height of around 40 metres (131.2 ft), clad in red-brick
; a shorter, fully linked section which is only around 12 metres (39.4 ft) tall, clad in blue tiles and glass
; and a section facing the University Concourse
, around 15 metres (49.2 ft) tall, clad in blue, following a re-paint in 2010. It was built in the 1950s, but was reclad
to give it a more modern appearance and because the old cladding was in a poor state of repair. The smaller section was also reclad, in 2006.
The building has long been one of the city's taller buildings
, and has dominated the site to the south of Western Bank (the Arts Tower
, Sheffield's second tallest building, is on the northern side, though closer to Bolsover Street) until the completion of the shorter, copper-clad Information Commons
, adjacent to Upper Hanover Street
.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, 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...
, part of the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
. It is named in honour after William Mitchinson Hicks
William Mitchinson Hicks
William Mitchinson Hicks, FRS was a British mathematician and physicist. He studied at St John's College, Cambridge, graduating in 1873, and became a Fellow at the College....
.
The building houses the departments of Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and Astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, the Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
Workshop (formally known as the Central Mechanical Workshops) and the School of Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and Statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
, which comprises the departments of Probability
Probability
Probability is ordinarily used to describe an attitude of mind towards some proposition of whose truth we arenot certain. The proposition of interest is usually of the form "Will a specific event occur?" The attitude of mind is of the form "How certain are we that the event will occur?" The...
and Statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
, Applied Mathematics
Applied mathematics
Applied mathematics is a branch of mathematics that concerns itself with mathematical methods that are typically used in science, engineering, business, and industry. Thus, "applied mathematics" is a mathematical science with specialized knowledge...
and Pure Mathematics
Pure mathematics
Broadly speaking, pure mathematics is mathematics which studies entirely abstract concepts. From the eighteenth century onwards, this was a recognized category of mathematical activity, sometimes characterized as speculative mathematics, and at variance with the trend towards meeting the needs of...
.
It is in three sections: a taller building, with a roof height of around 40 metres (131.2 ft), clad in red-brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
; a shorter, fully linked section which is only around 12 metres (39.4 ft) tall, clad in blue tiles and glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
; and a section facing the University Concourse
Concourse
A concourse is a place where pathways or roads meet, such as in a hotel, a convention center, a railway station, an airport terminal, a hall, or other space.-Examples:Examples of concourses include:* Meeting halls* Universities* Railway stations...
, around 15 metres (49.2 ft) tall, clad in blue, following a re-paint in 2010. It was built in the 1950s, but was reclad
Cladding (construction)
Cladding is the application of one material over another to provide a skin or layer intended to control the infiltration of weather elements, or for aesthetic purposes....
to give it a more modern appearance and because the old cladding was in a poor state of repair. The smaller section was also reclad, in 2006.
The building has long been one of the city's taller buildings
Buildings and structures in Sheffield
Buildings and structures in Sheffield have been constructed over a time-span ranging from the 13th century to the present day. However, the majority of Sheffield's older buildings were built during the Industrial Revolution. Many of Sheffield's medieval buildings were demolished in the 19th...
, and has dominated the site to the south of Western Bank (the Arts Tower
Arts Tower
The Arts Tower is a building at 12 Bolsover Street in Sheffield, England belonging to the University of Sheffield and opened in 1966. English Heritage has called it "the most elegant university tower block in Britain of its period...
, Sheffield's second tallest building, is on the northern side, though closer to Bolsover Street) until the completion of the shorter, copper-clad Information Commons
Information commons
An Information Commons is an information system, such as a physical library or online community, that exists to produce, conserve, and preserve information for current and future generations. Wikipedia could be considered to be an information commons to the extent that it produces and preserves...
, adjacent to Upper Hanover Street
Sheffield Inner Ring Road
Sheffield Inner Ring Road is a dual-carriageway circling central Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Built from the 1960s onwards the Ring Road connects to the Sheffield Parkway, which itself connects with the M1 motorway...
.