A Birmingham university has abandoned its plans to build a striking new 'lantern' teaching block more than two years after the project was given the green light.
Aston University said the decision to scrap the ten-storey building was as a result of "strategic adjustments" following the covid-19 pandemic and also its own priorities.
Approved by the city council's planning committee in August 2021, the project was planned for a site at the corner of Woodcock Street and Lister Street near the Sacks of Potatoes pub.
It would have contained work, teaching and social learning space as well as a ground floor public arcade with a café and landscaped plaza.
The 'Tipping Triangles' water fountain at the application site, which is now largely disused following the relocation of the students' union, was to be moved as part of the scheme.
Plans for the 129,165 sq ft building were first unveiled in early 2021 and its striking aesthetic garnered plenty of comment.
One councillor as part of a public consultation likened it to a "wonky wedding cake" and "three car air filters stacked on the top of each other".
Others called the designs "stunning".
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The building formed part of a wider masterplan by the university to upgrade its campus and benefit surrounding communities.
In a brief statement, Aston University said: "In light of the strategic adjustments necessitated by the covid-19 pandemic and a revaluation of the university's operational priorities, the implementation of the scheme has been put on hold.
"At present, the university does not foresee this building now being delivered. The site is a recreational space and will remain as is."
The design team was led by architecture practice Hawkins\Brown whose previous work in the education sector included projects for University College London, University of Oxford and University of Manchester.