Alien lift off

Sir, On Monday the University of Cambridge council must decide whether to put a stop to the ill-considered building of a lift right into the old Regent House, purpose-built as the meeting house and chapel of the university regents at the end of the 14th century. Historically it is the most important room in the universities of the English-speaking world, for in it under the watchful eye of the proctors academic self-government and ceremonies evolved.

It was described in 1438 as being of “surpassing beauty”. To destroy its symmetry with the intrusion of an alien structure should be unthinkable. If the council allows the construction to continue then the whole body of dons will need to overrule it, as the constitution permits. The same procedure preserved the Cobble Court in the Old Schools a century ago and prevented the erection of a public lavatory at the War Memorial entrance to the Botanic Garden 50 years ago.