King’s College London, Aldwych, London WC2
Client: King's College London
John Robertson Architects has transformed the former home to the BBC World Service into a world class university campus at the heart of the Strand for King’s College London (KCL). Bush House and its four adjoining buildings now form a dynamic campus in London by uniting two prime central London locations, the Aldwych and the historic Strand Campus, which now provide state of the art education and learning facilities for students.
The campus spans 30,000 m2 and now houses a 400 seat auditorium, lecture theatres, seminar rooms, trading labs, student services and a new central pavilion. In addition, JRA provided 266 academic offices, designed to a unique blueprint in consultation with staff. The original 1920s features have been preserved and include wrought iron metalwork, coffered ceilings and travertine lined walls, which inspired the detailing of the interiors, creating a coherent and bespoke aesthetic that combines the best of the building’s heritage with a modern university’s needs. Throughout, JRA engaged closely with a number of stakeholders including a senior user group made up of union staff, academics, students and estates staff.
The comprehensive fit out follows JRA’s refurbishment and restoration of Grade II listed Bush House, together with the North East Wing, South East Wing, Melbourne House and North West Wing following the vacation of the buildings by the BBC after 70 years of occupation. The initial refurbishment reached BREEAM Excellent standard and JRA has built on this by exclusively using FSC certified timber, sustainably sourced furniture, zero VOC paint and recycled yarn carpeting.