The Duke of York has recently visited the latest construction project at the University of Huddersfield, which captures his imagination. The £30 million Barbara Hepworth Building is due for completion in 2019 and the design includes what His Royal Highness described as a “wonderful cantilever”.

“The University of Huddersfield prides itself in its buildings, its care for buildings and the care it has for its students,” said The Duke. “The Barbara Hepworth Building will be a marvellous addition to the facilities that the University can offer its students,” he added.

The same team that built the University of Huddersfield’s Oastler Building opened in 2017 will be working on this new one. Architects AHR, construction firm Morgan Sindall, and structural engineers Tim Stower and Partners will be responsible for designing and constructing the Barbara Hepworth Building.

The new 7,500 square metres building will be six-storey tall and will overlook the Huddersfield Narrow Canal. The location is on a Queen Street South site, which was formerly occupied by engineering firm Broadbent.

“The distinctive element is that the new building fits the landscape as it cascades down towards the canal, making full use of the site by following its contours,” said Tim Hosker, the University’s Assistant Director of Estates and Facilities.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Tim Thornton, introduced the ceremony and explained the University’s policy of naming its buildings after inspirational figures who originated in the region. “Now we have the opportunity to name a fine new building after a truly great and influential figure who achieved global eminence in the visual arts,” he explained.

Barbara Hepworth was a sculptor that spent most of her life and career in London and Cornwall, but she was born in Wakefield and represented a product of the educational; system and the landscape of the West Riding.