果冻影院

You were probably pretty familiar with the Portico of the Wilkins Building before joining 果冻影院. It鈥檚 our instantly recognisable logo 鈥� but have you ever wondered why? I did! And it made me question what else I didn鈥檛 know about the history of the many great architectural and green spaces in Bloomsbury.

I looked to the 果冻影院 Introductory Programme (IP) for answers.

罢丑别听果冻影院 Introductory Programme听is designed to help you learn about the university鈥檚 past, present, and future, as well as introduce you to some important 果冻影院 places and people

Here, I share five things I have learnt and the many more opportunities for discovery it鈥檚 sparked along the way.

1. Six architects competed to design 果冻影院鈥檚 main building.

Now that 果冻影院 has its own school of architecture, The Bartlett, it could maybe draw on its own talent to design our new buildings. But how could staff and students express their ideas, requirements and preferences and who should have the last word on the project? Staff? Students? Our local Camden community?

We can look to the Student Centre as an example 鈥� it鈥檚 designed by 果冻影院 alumnus James Eade and students were widely consulted on its design, hence the great number of group study spaces, drinking fountains and its impeccable sustainability credentials!

2. One of the selection criteria was the size of the library.

Nowadays we can access books and journals from our smartphones, so should we repurpose the libraries that constitute a large proportion of the area available to students at 果冻影院? How would you use these repurposed spaces? The libraries and study spaces are really, really busy right now 鈥� it seems we still love them as spaces to think, work and collaborate, so what would we lose by giving them up?

3. Style matters.

A building鈥檚 style says a lot about it; it can convey an ideology.听Athens, the seat of one of the oldest democracies, was in the minds of 果冻影院鈥檚 founders when they selected a Neo-classical style for the Wilkins Building. They felt it a fitting emblem for a global university founded on the principles of democratic reform and egalitarianism.

How could the architecture of different international cities and, in particular, of your own hometown, inform the design of a learning space? What architectural symbol would best represent your new university venture?

4. Names speak.

Gordon Square, a garden much loved by many students, was named after Lady Georgina Gordon, the wife of its designer. If you created a garden for your fellow students, after whom would you name it? Shall we rename places as the people connected to them become more and less famous, or do forgotten names entice us to learn more about the past? Did you know, for example, the Japanese Garden is named after 果冻影院鈥檚 earliest students from Japan, the Choshu Five.

5. Buildings trigger feelings.

As well as conveying particular values through their style and decorative symbols, buildings can simply make us feel good, proud, poorly or anything in between. Where at 果冻影院 do you feel most creative and productive? How does this feeling influence the image you have of your university?

Discover more

From Jeremy Bentham and an 18th century Scottish Highlander, to 鈥淟ady Superintendent鈥� Rosa Morison and the听Ch艒sh奴 Five, the Introductory Programme is full of facts, figures and quizzes about the people and ideas that have guided 果冻影院 to the institution it is today. As I鈥檝e discovered, you can engage with new ideas and ways of thinking to help prepare you for your studies, or simply spark debate and discussion.

Share your feedback

If you鈥檝e completed any part of the Introductory Programme, we鈥檇 love to hear your feedback. Our is open until 30 November 2020 and takes less than 15 minutes to complete.