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As part of the Estates Strategy, our aim is to enhance the campus experience for everyone who works, studies and visits here. It is our shared environment and the setting for our success.
As we approach UCL’s 200th anniversary in 2026, this milestone gives us a unique chance to look back on our history, whilst planning for the next 200 years, with our physical estate playing a key role in that.
We need to support our diverse student and staff population in achieving its ambitions at UCL, whilst creating engaging, sustainable, accessible and connected spaces for us and the public.
The first phase of these projects will start ahead of 2026, introducing new initiatives focused on accessibility and sustainability. These changes will benefit students, staff, and visitors at UCL in the main central spaces of UCL. Additionally, the improvements will support exceptional events and engagement opportunities, enhancing infrastructure and multi-functional areas.
They will include:
- The relocation of several offices, from within the Wilkins Building, to reduce fragmentation and bring academic units together to be more functional and productive through co-location.
- Enhance uncoordinated and under-utilised spaces in the Wilkins Building by creating high-quality and appealing spaces for use by a range of stakeholders, which enables UCL to host more and higher quality events providing the potential to increase commercial opportunities.
- The remodelling of the Main Quad will transform it into a fully accessible space that supports current demands, provides space for events, study, congregation and other student activities, as well as needed utilities upgrades.
- The temporary relocation of the Object-Based Learning Laboratory (OBLL) and the UCL Art Museum. (The OBLL will be returned to service at the close of the building works whilst the long-term and permanent solutions for the UCL Art Museum are being considered as part of a feasibility study linked to the strategic relocation of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology and Science Library).
Sustainability and accessibility are key strands to the project:
- Internal level access to JBR
- Level access improvements from Main Quad to surrounding buildings
- Installation of Air Source Heat Pumps
- Glazing upgrade in the Wilkins Cloisters to improve heat retention and reduce solar gain.
- Provision of dog spend area in the Main Quad.
- Provision of accessibility parking bays with EV chargers in the Main Quad.
- The installation of a green wall and canopy on the Christopher Ingold Building, along with the installation of parklets along Gordon Street.
When will the works complete?
These works are due to take place between January 2025-January 2026, with mitigations being put into place to minimise impact on student, staff and visitor experience as much as possible.
Image source *: Burwell Architects.
* Please note that the renderings above are for reference and do not necessarily represent the final design. More information regarding the designs will be shared once available.
Architects
Main Quad and Wilkins Building: Burwell Architects are the appointed architects. Gardiner and Theobald are the project lead. Neilcott Construction has been appointed as the lead contractors.
Gordon Street: Nicholas Hare Architects are the appointed architects. Gardiner and Theobald are the project lead.