After Henry T Hare successfully designed the Arts Building for University of Wales Bangor in 1906-1907, he planned to link this building and Deiniol Road with monumental ramps and steps, and create a second faculty of buildings for the sciences at the lower site. This was unrealised and in 1962, Percy Thomas & Sons created an outline plans for a new Modernist science campus: the Brambell Building, providing laboratories for the Zoology department was built to their designs in 1969, with William Marsden as partner in charge. The building was officially opened on 9 November 1971 by Lord Zuckerman, Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Government, who described it as the best and largest Zoology Department in the UK. The cost of building, excluding lab fitting, was £450,000.
The building is a striking red brick and concrete cube, with strong vertical lines of concrete and glazing delineating the upper two and ground floors, the recessed middle two floors of un-fenestrated brick to the facade but sporting concrete pillars that run through to, and support the upper storeys. Enclosed concrete stairwell to the north elevation, and fully glazed stairwell to the south.
Listed Grade II in January 2025 for its 'striking and confident expression of Brutalist principles, carefully planned and detailed in collaboration with a leading biological scientist of the period. Special Historic Interest as a building purpose built for teaching and research into biological science during the postwar expansion of the University of Wales, closely associated with Professor Francis Brambell. Group value with the Memorial Building and other Listed University buildings.'
S Fielding July 2019 / updated January 2025