The Diamond has been beaten to the Worst New Building in UK award

How has this happened?


The Diamond has somehow managed to escape being named the Worst New Building in the UK.

Despite its impracticality and questionable aesthetics, The Diamond has lost out to the Lincoln Plaza in the award naming and shaming poor architecture across the country.

Ironically branded as the ‘jewel in the University’s crown’, the £81-million building has been surprisingly beaten after being shortlisted for the prestigious Carbuncle Cup last month.

From the obscene amount of money thrown at it, many impassioned critics felt that the shortlisting was completely deserved and that the building would go on to nab the title.

One disgruntled commenter even said that it was “a stupid looking building to add to others surrounding it, such as the gigantic black cushion, the green thing that looks like a level on the old Mario games and the giant multi-coloured thing…what’s next? The building that looks like a walnut whip?”

From the start the building has sparked controversy as the demolition of most of the historic Jessop Hospital hurt many Sheffielders. Seen as the birthplace to generations of families, many felt a deep affection to the grade two listed hospital and found it beautiful. Replacing it with such a ‘graceless lump’ was thought to be out of order.

However, staying true to Building Design magazine’s yearly loathing of high-rise blots on the landscape, the shameful Lincoln Plaza has taken the Carbuncle win.

Commenting on the news, and the building’s choice of accessories, Facebook user Peter Hutcheon, said: “I do object to the Dr. Evil style chairs that, if rumours are correct, cost 500 quid each.

“There is also a lot of wasted space as there is an atrium style core so many floor do not cover the full footprint of the building.”

Third year Issy Mellings, studying History, added: “It’s just a ridiculous building, they’ve tried far too hard to make it look modern and futuristic.

“The TVs at the exit that do nothing but display ‘out’ really annoy me, they’re doing something that paper could literally do.”