Student life in Ipswich is everywhere as you wander between the modern faculty buildings of this institution of higher education.
The University Campus Suffolk is the main hub of the University of Suffolk. Established in 2007, this campus educates over 5,000 students at state-of-the-art facilities located in Ipswich and across Suffolk County. Enjoy the waterfront setting of the principal building of the campus and mingle with students at campus cafés.
Overlooking the River Orwell on the revitalized Ipswich Waterfront is the Waterfront Building, designed by one of the biggest architecture companies in Britain. This cutting-edge, six-floor structure features a 200-person-capacity auditorium, two lecture theaters and dozens of teaching spaces. Outside the building, ponder the curious public art piece called the Question Mark sculpture. It depicts a horizontal question mark made from granite, which symbolizes a student’s need to ask questions, challenge and criticize ideas.
Within the building is the Waterfront Gallery, a free exhibition space open to university staff, students and the general public. Browse works by artists living in England’s East Anglia region in the permanent exhibition, East Contemporary Art: A Collection of 21st Century Practice. The gallery also offers a platform for students of the university’s Department of Arts and Humanities to promote their talents. The site is open daily.
Cross the road behind the Waterfront Building to see more of the campus, including the innovative Atrium and Suffolk New College buildings. The East Building is identifiable by the 100-foot-tall (30-meter) chimney of its boiler house. Watch games of field hockey and soccer or enjoy a meal at one of the cafés and restaurants.
University Campus Suffolk is 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) east of Ipswich railway station and a 15-minute walk from the town center. Combine your time at the campus with a walk around Ipswich Waterfront. Visit historic landmarks, such as Customs House and Wolsey’s Gate, and dine at restaurants set inside refurbished port warehouses. Join a sightseeing cruise on the River Orwell aboard a century-old sailboat and attend concerts at St. Peter’s by the Waterfront, a converted 15th-century church.
