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Provost's View: 果冻影院 Laws and the rebirth of Bentham House
23 March 2017
It has been been three years since we launched
ucl.ac.uk/transforming-ucl">Transforming 果冻影院, with the aim of creating sustainable spaces that
meet 果冻影院's world-class aspirations and commitment to academic excellence and
innovation.
One significant project within this programme is the refurbishment of the iconic Bentham House, which has been home to 果冻影院 Laws for more than 50 years. I was, therefore, delighted to recently join Professor Dame Hazel Genn, Dean of 果冻影院 Laws, on a tour to see how the 拢22 million Bentham House project is progressing.
The history of Bentham House
果冻影院 Laws moved into Bentham House in 1965, with the building having 听previously been the headquarters for the National Union of General and Municipal Workers.
The faculty had made a number of improvements to the building over the years. In 2001, the faculty extended its space by acquiring neighbouring Hillel House and completing further renovation to create the Gideon Schreier Wing.
In 2011, extensive works to drain the River Fleet's flood plain from ground and basement floors were undertaken, providing among other teaching spaces, the 156-seat Denys Holland Lecture Theatre, which was formally opened by H.R.H The Princess Royal.
By 2013, with the estate being almost 50 years old, it was increasingly difficult to accommodate the needs of staff and students, with pressures on teaching space, office space and student services becoming more apparent with each academic year.
In order for 果冻影院 Laws to grow and to ensure that all Laws students could continue to be taught exclusively within Bentham House, a new building and some fresh thinking was required.
The vision for Bentham House
Under the direction of 果冻影院 Estates, architects Levitt Bernstein created a design that combines the historic Grade II-listed Bentham House, with 果冻影院's overarching goal of creating a world-class environment for research, teaching and learning.
It gives 果冻影院 Laws additional modern space in which to innovate while maintaining the historical attachment to Bentham House.
The building has expanded by 1,500m2 to 6,500m2 of space, connecting all of the upper floors and allowing for greater wheelchair accessibility. Previous users of Bentham House will remember how difficult it was to navigate between the different wings and this will be a very welcome change when 果冻影院 Laws move back.
Directly adjoining new teaching and events spaces, a new bright, spacious caf茅 and social hub will become the focal point for life and events in the faculty, providing students, staff, alumni and friends with a place to meet, relax and share ideas.
One of the aspects that impressed me on my visit was how the design puts 听students, and student space, in the heart of the building. This feature within the new integrated building will continue to foster the sense of community and attachment to the faculty that 果冻影院 Laws students have historically demonstrated.
On the lower floors, a suite of flexible teaching spaces is being created, along with a specialist study centre for graduate students. The dedicated study space will allow PhD students to study on-site, alongside academics, and to be in the midst of the thriving research culture at 果冻影院 Laws.
The fifth floor of Bentham House will become a dedicated legal research hub. The space will provide researchers such as those from the Bentham Project, the 果冻影院 Centre for Access to Justice and the 果冻影院 Judicial Institute with room for specialist resources to facilitate their work.
Visiting academics, scholars and distinguished judicial visitors will also be welcomed, allowing collaborative working and space to exchange ideas, strengthening the faculty's ability to work towards the 果冻影院 aims of responding to the grand challenges facing today's world.
Engaging with the wider 果冻影院 Laws community
Members of 果冻影院 Laws have a strong sense of community, even long after graduating. Many alumni, now at the top of their professions, often ask after Bentham House and recount stories about their time studying and socialising there.
Crucial developments to Bentham House over the years would not have been possible without the generosity and continuing support of the faculty's alumni and friends.
Particular thanks are owed to the late Sir Bernard Schreier for the Gideon Schreier Wing, to Vincent Cheung (LLB 1965) for the Denys Holland Lecture Theatre and to Winston Chu (LLB, 1960) for the Cissy Chu Common room.
To show gratitude for the continued support, 果冻影院 Laws invited key alumni to visit Bentham House earlier this month and see for themselves how the project is advancing.
The group explored a number of new aspects of the building, along with hearing a talk from the architects and project team. 听The architects shared the vision for Bentham House, the challenges and issues that have been overcome so far and the benefits of the redevelopment for the next 50 years.
Staff and students also toured the building and met with the architects, ahead of their anticipated return to the building in late 2017.
The students took photos and made videos, demonstrating the excitement among the 果冻影院 Laws student body at once again having a home of their own.
Moving home
Now that the Bentham House redevelopment is into its final year, key milestones are coming thick and fast.
In late January, Professor Dame Hazel Genn completed the topping out of Bentham House, an important construction milestone, with the building reaching its full height of 44.863m just shorter than Nelson's Column.
Over the coming months, cranes will be removed from the site, the scaffolding will come down, revealing how the Portland Stone fa莽ade has united the wings - and the end of the project will begin to feel very real. Then there is just the job of installing state-of-the-art audio-visual facilities and furniture and moving in staff and students.
Looking east
With the activities 果冻影院 Laws already undertakes in Bloomsbury, it could be easy to forget that the Faculty also has a presence in east London, reaching out to other communities outside of 果冻影院.
The Sir Ludwig Guttmann Centre for Health and Wellbeing in Stratford houses the pro bono 果冻影院 Legal Advice Clinic (果冻影院 LAC), run by the which is staffed by 果冻影院 Laws students under the supervision of experienced, qualified advisers and lawyers.
The only student legal advice clinic co-located with a GP surgery, the 果冻影院 LAC is a unique and innovative initiative working across disciplines to improve health and wellbeing.
The 果冻影院 CAJ recently marked helping their first 100 clients, engaging with, and contributing to, the local community by advising local residents on all aspects of social welfare law including welfare benefits and housing.
The social impact of centres such as the 果冻影院 CAJ is one of the many reasons that I am very proud to be President and Provost of 果冻影院. As a result of the important work that 果冻影院 CAJ does, last year, it became one of the cornerstones of 果冻影院's ' demonstrating the place that 果冻影院 holds in London, and how it continues to support 果冻影院's tradition of supporting the development of our city.
When Bentham House reopens, the 果冻影院 CAJ will have the dedicated space that it requires and deserves to continue its longstanding activities in Bloomsbury, while developments at 果冻影院 East, the new campus at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, mean that the 果冻影院 CAJ will be able to grow and expand its activities even further across London.
Transforming Bentham House - front view time lapse
Keep up to date
Visit the to see how Bentham House is progressing, watch time-lapse videos, view images of key milestones and take a virtual tour of the building.
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About Transforming 果冻影院
The redevelopment of Bentham House has been delivered by 果冻影院 Estates as part of Transforming 果冻影院, the largest capital programme in the university's history.听
Transforming 果冻影院 will see substantial investment of more than 拢1.2 billion over a 10-year period to refurbish and develop some of 果冻影院's most iconic buildings while also bringing forward new world-class buildings.听Together, these will enable and support the university's continued emphasis on providing the facilities required for long term world-leading academic excellence.
Professor Michael Arthur
President & Provost