Firth Court is the first purpose-built building for the university, which was designed by Sheffield-born architect Edward Mitchel Gibbs (1847-1935) and was built between 1903 and 1905. The building, then known as the Western Bank Building, was opened by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in July 1905, two months after the University of Sheffield was granted its Royal Charter on 31 May 1905 and officially came into being.
Firth Court is the initial constructed structure of the university, designed by Sheffield-born architect Edward Mitchel Gibbs (1847-1935) and built from 1903 to 1905. The building, previously called the Western Bank Building, was inaugurated by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in July 1905, two months after the University of Sheffield received its Royal Charter on May 31, 1905, officially becoming a recognized institution.