UCL200 celebrations launched at the Bartlett

We’re excited to launch the Bartlett faculty celebrations for UCL’s 200th anniversary year. From exploring UCL’s radical past to showcasing today’s built environment pioneers, we will use this milestone to reflect on two centuries of innovation while looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities of the next 200 years in the built environment. 

Professor Jacqui Glass, Dean of the UCL Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment said:  

“This is a bicentennial for all, for the university for all, no less. 

Looking back on our own faculty’s history, it was just a few years after UCL was established that the first footsteps of scholars destined to be architects and planners echoed through the halls of the Wilkins building, following the appointment of the first Chair of Architecture in 1841; by 1911 Sir Herbert Bartlett’s support enabled a school of architecture to be built – and the building still stands, as part of the Quad. 

The Bartlett is now a world-leading, comprehensive faculty spanning an exceptionally broad spectrum of academic disciplines, and I have no doubt that our success has been made possible by having our foundations set firm in UCL. The values of UCL are strongly echoed in the life of our faculty, with equity, diversity and inclusion front and centre as we strive to offer the best possible setting to tackle the most pressing global issues in the built environment domain. 

But there is still a long way to go. 

My hope during this bicentennial year is that we all take some time to reflect and consider what the future may hold. This moment is so special, and we mustn’t miss this chance to ask new questions, forge new connections, and open our eyes to different possibilities, so join us as we celebrate UCL’s bicentennial this year. There are so many ways to get involved, from visiting the Bartlett’s flagship exhibition ‘London Intersections’ to taking part in fascinating events and seminars and reading about the architectural history of in Bloomsbury in a dedicated edition from The Survey of London team, based in The Bartlett School of Architecture. 

I look forward to seeing students, staff and partners of the Bartlett during the year as we mark this wonderful moment in our university’s history.” 

Professor Ben Campkin, Vice-Dean Public and City Engagement, UCL200 Faculty Champion, UCL Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment said:  

“In the Bartlett, we have taken the bicentennial as a prompt to celebrate collaboration in bringing built environment expertise to the most pressing challenges. Through a multi-media exhibition – London Intersections (25 March to 15 May) – we will reflect on our place in the university, our partnerships from the grassroots, to local government, to industry, our impact on the capital, and the city’s role as a place where fairer urban futures are being shaped through international and transdisciplinary exchange. In June, a showcase event will focus on case studies that demonstrate how UK teams are influencing international policy in the sector. Over the year, our programme will feature over 40 events, on topics ranging from the history of Bloomsbury to energy futures, healthy homes, people’s planning, radical publishing, inclusive economies and the digital campus. I am looking forward to celebrating with the rest of the university and participating in the fantastic public programme that has been planned. I hope that everyone will get involved, make new connections, and through these encounters think differently about the built environment.” 

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