Building UCL: From Foundation Stone to Future Sustainability – Survey of London Annual Event

This year’s Survey of London annual event marks the launch of its latest monograph, University College London: The Bloomsbury Campus, published as part of UCL’s bicentennial celebrations. The new volume provides the first comprehensive account of the university’s buildings and evolution from 1826 to the present day, bringing to light a complex and engaging architectural story from foundation stone to future sustainability.

At the heart of the event is a conversation with architects who are shaping the university’s physical fabric and identity. Led by the architect and Bartlett design tutor Jane Wong, and including practices such as Burwell Architects, Nicholas Hare Architects and DSDHA, the conversation will consider the challenges and opportunities of working with historic buildings and settings, offering insights into recent and current projects, and imagining future possibilities. 

The event will be introduced by Professor Jacqui Glass, Dean of the UCL Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment; Professor Dame Hazel Genn, UCL Pro-Provost (Bicentennial); and the Survey of London’s Director, Colin Thom. The evening also celebrates the work of students on the Architecture & Historic Urban Environments MA at the Bartlett School of Architecture, inviting them to reflect on their experiences of learning and life on UCL’s campus.

This event is being held at The Bloomsbury Theatre, UCL. Tickets from £2, with all profits going to the New Horizon Youth Centre, based near the university in King’s Cross, which supports young people who are homeless or unsafe in London.

Survey of London

The Survey of London is a unique public history project with an international reputation for presenting the most authoritative and accessible interpretation of the city’s built environment. Begun in 1894 in the East End of London, in a context of immense and rapid change, the Survey’s original mission was as a vehicle for educational and public good. Its founder C. R. Ashbee, alarmed by the loss of historic buildings for redevelopment at a time when there was little or no heritage protection, sought to understand and record London’s built fabric, believing in its capacity to educate and enhance people’s lives. Over the past 130 years, the Survey has developed into a detailed, diverse and inclusive work of urban and architectural history, exploring and embracing new methods of research and modes of sharing its work (for example, with the Histories of Whitechapel project). It has been a research unit within The Bartlett School of Architecture at UCL since 2013, contributing to teaching across the school as well as continuing to produce published volumes as part of its long-running series.

Image: UCL’s Wilkins Building, the centrepiece of the Main Quadrangle in Gower Street. West front, February 2024.
© Photograph by Chris Redgrave