Creating a Connected Academic centre
UCL's updated proposals for Plots 2 and 3 build upon the planning permission granted in 2019 to create a more connected, sustainable and welcoming academic site at Gray's Inn Road.
Together, the proposals will provide modern facilities for teaching, research and collaboration, improve public spaces across the site and help create an environment where students, researchers, staff and visitors can thrive.
Why More Space is Needed
Demand for mathematics, statistics, data science, artificial intelligence and computational health continues to grow rapidly.
Many of these academic teams are currently spread across older buildings in Bloomsbury that were never designed for modern teaching or interdisciplinary research, limiting collaboration and the specialist environments these disciplines require.
The updated proposals, part of UCL’s Academic Strategy, would bring them together in purpose-designed facilities, creating a new home for UCL's Institute for Mathematical and Statistical Sciences alongside a proposed Computational Health Institute. They would also enable existing UCL accommodation elsewhere in Bloomsbury to be used more effectively as part of the University's wider Estates Strategy.
Plot 2: The Eastman Building
Restoring aN Historic Landmark
The former Eastman Dental Hospital sits at the heart of the proposals.
Rather than replacing the building, UCL proposes to repair, conserve and sensitively adapt it for modern academic use, securing its long-term future while celebrating its architectural and historic significance.
Historic spaces, including the entrance hall, former waiting room and Dental Hall, would be restored and brought back into everyday use for teaching, study and collaboration. The proposals would also create opportunities for exhibitions, talks and events that celebrate the building's history and connect UCL's research with the wider community.
Improving Accessibility
Creating a more inclusive building is a key objective of the proposals.
A new accessible entrance is being considered beside the existing steps on Gray's Inn Road would provide a dignified step-free route into the building, while internal alterations would improve circulation throughout.
New routes would also strengthen connections between the Eastman building, the courtyard and the wider area, making movement through the site simpler and more intuitive.
Carefully Designed Extensions
To support UCL's future academic needs, the proposals include two carefully considered additions to the listed building:
Roof Extension
A new set-back roof extension would provide additional academic accommodation while remaining visually subordinate to the original 1930s architecture.
Its design has been developed so the historic Gray's Inn Road façade remains the dominant architectural feature.
Rear Infill Extension
A contemporary rear extension would improve links between the Eastman building and the new courtyard.
This new space would accommodate informal study, circulation and collaborative learning areas while clearly distinguishing new architecture from the historic fabric of the building.
Together, these additions would allow the Eastman building to meet modern academic requirements while preserving its heritage significance.
Plot 3: A Modern Academic Building
Alongside the restored Eastman building, Plot 3 will provide a new contemporary academic building designed specifically for modern university teaching and research.
The building will deliver flexible spaces for lectures, teaching, collaboration, research and public events, helping meet growing demand across mathematics, statistics, artificial intelligence, computational health and data science.
Its design has evolved from the 2019 consent to provide additional academic floorspace through a carefully tested increase in height and massing, including three additional storeys to the central block, while responding to neighbouring buildings, the surrounding conservation area and the listed Eastman building.
A New Courtyard at the Heart of the Campus
The proposals introduce a new landscaped courtyard that will become the central public space within the Gray's Inn Road site.
Designed as a shared space for students, staff, visitors and local residents, the courtyard will provide opportunities to meet, relax, study outdoors and move easily between different buildings.
New planting, seating, lighting and interpretation will help create an attractive destination while celebrating both the site's heritage and UCL's future academic ambitions.
Better Connections to St Andrew's Gardens
The proposals strengthen the relationship between the site and neighbouring St Andrew's Gardens.
Changes include:
improved pedestrian routes
carefully positioned gates and railings
enhanced planting
clearer views between the campus and the gardens.
These improvements will help create a more seamless connection between the public open space and UCL's site while respecting the historic character of both.
Returning the Riddell Memorial Fountain
An important feature of the public realm proposals is the return of the Grade II listed Riddell Memorial Fountain.
Currently in storage, the fountain would be reinstated in a more prominent location within the landscape, allowing it once again to become a visible and appreciated part of the public realm.
