London School of Economics Student Centre
1 Portugal St, London WC2A 2AP, UK
O’Donnell and Tuomey (2009-14)
Just a short 5-minute stroll from The Sir John Soane Museum, across Lincoln Inn Fields, is the London School of Economics Student Services Building by O’Donnell Tuomey. Winning a competition in 2009 against some serious players, the building was completed in 2014. Their design concept takes the multiple intersecting access lanes and sight-lines around this corner site to create a triangulated contemporary composition, that fits very cleverly into its urban location.
The architects state: ‘Like a Japanese puzzle, our design is carefully assembled to make one coherent volume from a complex set of interdependent component parts. Our analysis of the context has uniquely influenced the first principles of the design approach.’
The design incorporates a range of specially fabricated bricks to create the impressive, faceted façade. The building’s name – ‘Saw Swee Hock Student Centre’ – is also etched into a stone façade at street level.
The building houses the LSE Student Services – including a large music venue, pub, learning cafe, union offices, prayer centre, dance studio, careers library and gym – and is designed as a circulation pattern, where a wonderfully coloured, multi-faceted sculptural stair winds around a lift core, with a variety of gathering spaces and seats along the journey, and the required facilities and offices appropriately located at each level.
Further Information:
Place: London School of Economics Student Centre
Architect: O’Donnell Tuomey
Photographer: Stephen Varady
Reviews: The Guardian – Rowan Moore (16 Feb 2014) and Divisare (20 Feb 2014) and Dezeen (12 Feb 2014) and Arch Daily (14 Oct 2014) and Archiseek (30 June 2009) and GA Document 128
Map: London School of Economics Student Centre Map
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