London South Bank University (LSBU) campus at the heart of Elephant & Castle, is about to change in an exciting way as this month sees the launch of a fresh vision for a partial redevelopment of the site and a consultation period for the newly branded ‘St.George’s Quarter’.
The plans for re-designing St.George’s Quarter have been drawn up by award-winning architects WilkinsonEyre and include an accessible new learning centre, a galleried performing arts theatre and a creative design centre.
A public exhibition will run from 4-23 September, allowing students, staff and local residents, to view the plans and provide feedback to LSBU in advance of a planning application being submitted to Southwark Council.
The purpose of the re-development plan is to:
· Preserve and refurbish the façade of the listed Victorian chapel on Borough Road and transform it into a performing arts centre which will become a creative space, for use by LSBU students and the local community;
· Provide attractive and comfortable facilities for students, including two new lecture theatres, a range of study spaces and a new student support centre;
· Create new teaching spaces supported by a large exhibition space to showcase student work and accommodate other outreach activities;
· Construct three new landscaped publically accessible spaces, helping to significantly increase the amount and quality of public space within the campus and provide space for ‘pop up’ events.
· Create a Library and Learning Resources Centre including a fully automated book storage and retrieval system, enabling students to order their books online and then have them drawn off the shelves by a specially designed robot ‘librarian’
Ian Mehrtens, LSBU’ Chief Operating Officer said:
“The neighbouring area around Elephant & Castle is fast transforming itself into a world class hub for education and business within central London. At LSBU our priority is to ensure that the University doesn’t get left behind. We want to be able to offer 21st century facilities to future generations of LSBU students, in attractively laid out surroundings.
“We see Wilkinson Eyre’s new plans for St.George’s Quarter as forming very much a part of Southwark’s neighbourhood plan for the area. We hope that local residents will find the proposals to be welcoming, sympathetic and an attractive addition to their local area, but we are very keen to hear your feedback before we submit our planning application.”
Stafford Critchlow, Director of WilkinsonEyre said: “This new facility will become the beating heart of the LSBU campus, providing a much-needed focus for students around a covered concourse and three new landscaped squares.
“Library study areas, student services and creative design studios will be offset by a theatre space inside the listed chapel at one end of the concourse and a fully glazed book stack with an automated book retrieval system, all on view.”
The plans will be available to view at the Clarence Centre for Enterprise and Innovation, 6 St George’s Circus, SE1 6FE from 10am-6pm, Monday 4 September to Friday 22 September 2017 (excluding weekends).
In addition, our design team will be on hand to answer your questions at the following dedicated sessions:
· Monday 4 September: 12 noon-2pm
· Saturday 9 September: 10am-1pm
· Thursday 14 September: 5pm-7pm
If you are unable to attend we will be putting the proposals on the LSBU website following the exhibition, where you can also comment on the plans: www.tofollow.ac.uk
