UCL200 at the Bartlett

Here, history happens.

2026 marks a major milestone for UCL – 200 years since we were founded as the first university in London.

We are marking the bicentenary as a moment to celebrate the achievements of our academic community, and the rich history of the built environment at UCL.

Since the appointment of the UK’s first Chair of Architecture at UCL in 1841, the Bartlett has evolved into the UK’s largest and most multidisciplinary faculty for built environment education and research, with over 6,000 staff and students from around the world united by our shared mission to build a better future.

The values of UCL are strongly echoed in the life of our faculty. The Bartlett provides a space where people from around the world come together to imagine and create a more socially just and sustainable world. Here, history happens.

We invite you to join our celebrations this year.

This page will continue to be updated with new and exciting events throughout 2026. Keep an eye on everything that’s going on by bookmarking this page.

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.

Professor Jacqui Glass

Dean, UCL Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment

See Jacqui's profile

A print of victorian UCL showing the main portico building. The top right hand of the image shows "UCL200" in the new branding. The top left and bottom right of the picture have striped oclumns of purple, light blue and lilac

UCL200 launch

UCL200 celebrations launched at the Bartlett

Hear from our Dean, Professor Jacqui Glass and UCL200 Faculty Champion, Professor Ben Campkin about what the bicentenary means to them and how we'll help bring the celebrations to life with our packed programme across the year.

UCL’s 200 year history has to be understood alongside the history of the city we inhabit, including our direct influences on the way it has developed. UCL200 provides an opportunity to visualise, celebrate and further enhance our contributions and partnerships in London. I am looking forward to celebrating with the rest of the university and participating in the fantastic programme that has been planned, and hope that everyone will get involved.

A person with a black jacket and weater, and white shirt turns to face the camera from the side. The post is professional and casual.

Professor Ben Campkin

Vice-Dean Public and City Engagement, UCL200 Faculty Champion, UCL Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment

Get to know our UCL200 Faculty Champion

Our history

Old photo of students in long coats standing over desks

Our history

The Bartlett was founded in 1919, and since then we have evolved from an architecture school to the UK’s largest and most multidisciplinary faculty of the built environment.

The Bartlett in London

Photograph of the dome of St Paul's Cathedral viewed from the Millennium Bridge, with a pale clear sky behind

The Bartlett in London

Read our series of stories on the Bartlett’s impact in London – from creating healthier, more sustainable living for Londoners, to supporting local communities and documenting London's rich history.

UCL200 Public Art programme

UCL200 Public Art programme

An exciting programme of public art marks UCL’s Bicentenary in 2026, where artists meaningfully connect with UCL’s story and legacy, including Bartlett academic Dr James O'Leary (Kreider + O’Leary).

We think of celebration as a kind of pause, a stop-time – a syncopation in the standardising rhythm that orders daily life and activity. For any institution, this provides an opportunity to evaluate its past and to imagine its future, with a potential to reset foundational patterns. This is a time, then, of both reflection and transformation and we very much look forward to inhabiting it at UCL this coming year.