Other shortlisted architects in the competition included Hurzog & De Meuron, Hawkins Brown, Adjaye Associates and Dorte Mandrup.
The winning proposal is a building design located within a natural landscape, with the aim to deliver an inspiring, engaging and welcoming heart to the campus. The design includes roof gardens, winter gardens, lively social spaces and an active ground level connecting it to the campus.
The sculpted, tapered form of the building is designed with a distinctive “beehive” character, appropriate to its role as the hub of student life, while taking its place in the context of other York campus landmarks, including the Library, the Central Hall and the lake.
The singular structure features a flexible plan with interconnecting multifunctional spaces, a south-facing winter garden and a walled orchard garden on the roof.
A key aspect of the design has been to create a carbon negative sustainable development, in which the technology will be intuitive and integral, to offer a digital experience to match the physical one. The proposal also includes integrated landscaped grounds, designed to create a sense of discovery between the built and the natural.
To ensure the very best student experience, the design reflects principles around sustainability, inclusion, internationalism, and collaboration, linking with city communities and students, past, present and future.