The Meeting House

The Meeting House is certainly a building you won’t miss on walking onto Sussex Campus. The cylindrical design, conical roof and use of loads of coloured glass plates makes an impression for sure.
During three years of Undergraduate study I never actually stepped inside. A fellow anthropologist gave me a tip to come here for mid morning coffees a few months back since I returned to read for my anthropology Masters. Man, have I been missing out! Don’t expect café latte or silver service. They have an urn, a mish mash of cups and mugs and instant coffee or tea bags. Technically they are all free, but ask for a 30p donation per brew. You can’t really complain at that price.
It is usually filled by the more alternative type of student, but it really has a good vibe. The building is also the home for some of the religious information on campus, but I just tend to turn up for a cheap drink and a chat with my friends. It’s a nice place in the summer to sit on the front steps and have your drink and compared to the prices at the other coffee stops, it wins hands down. They also have microwaves if you want to reheat any food you have brought onto campus.
A total power to the people venue. Thumbs up!

The Meeting House definitely stands out as the most aesthetically pleasing building on campus. Although it functions mostly as a site for religious and spiritual services, I’ve only been inside for a poetry reading.
The atmosphere is very welcoming, with a greeting area of couches, chairs, tables and serve-​yourself coffee. Literature on services available on –campus and in Brighton is displayed around the room on bulletin boards and in pamphlet form.
The poetry reading took place in the main room. It was quite beautiful with the large windows and artsy lighting. Made for some excellent photographs.
It’s worth a peek inside to see upcoming events and the regularly offered services. A friend of mine attends a weekly meditation class for free on Wednesdays and thoroughly enjoys it.

Although I’m not religious, this is a great resource for Christians living on or near the sussex university campus, used by many of my friends during my time as a student. The chaplaincy team is run by Rev. Gavin Ashenden, an Anglican priest who also lectures in the university’s English Department. He’s a great speaker, and really open minded when it comes to Christian beliefs — the services here offer a valuable alternative to the university’s more prescriptive Christian Union.
The building is beautiful, a circular building with hundreds of coloured panes of glass in the walls. There’s a part called ‘the quiet room’ with hot drinks and a kitchen — a perfect place to catch up on some studying. University music events are also held here with weekly lunchtime concerts and termly orchestra concerts.