The nine-storey Vivian Tower was opened in 1966, originally as the Physics and Mathematics Building. It was later named the Vivian Tower in recognition of the fact that the original University building, Singleton Abbey, had been the home of the wealthy and influential Vivian family before 1920.
The tower was part of a large phase of expansion that took place at the University in that period which began in the mid-1950s and ended in the early 1970s. When the tower was opened there were only 3,000 students on the roll at what was then called ‘the University College, Swansea’.
The pool, which is in-keeping with the design of the tower itself, was developed at the same time. Even though it is now surrounded by other university buildings, the pond is home to a range of aquatic plants and animals and offers a tranquil spot where you can meet, relax and even enjoy a lunchtime picnic.
Watching over all of this is a statue of Confucius. The statue was a gift from the Chinese government to the University. It was received in 2009 and it symbolises the close links that have been forged between the two.
